^osemtte  i^allcp 

Through  the  Stereoscope 


Personally  Conducted  by 

Ctjarlesf  Clutnc^  Wmmt 

Formerly  Editor  of  Outing 


antiettnooD  & OnDetttJOon 

New  York  London 

Ottawa,  Kansa  Toronto,  Canada 

Copyright,  1902 

By  Underwood  & Underwood 
New  York  and  London 
(Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall) 


Stereographs  copyrighted  in  the  United  States  and 
foreign  countries 


MAP  SYSTEM 

Patented  in  the  United  States,  August  21,  1900 
Patented  in  Great  Britain,  March  22,  1900 
Patented  in  France,  March  26,  1900.  S.G.D.G. 
Switzerland,  +Patent  Nr.  21,211 

Patents  applied  for  in  other  countries 


All  rights  reserved 


COMTENT5 


PAGE 


The  Yosemite  Valley 

Where  it  is 5 

What  it  is ...  5 

How  it  came  to  be 7 

The  resultant q 

How  it  came  to  be  preserved 10 

How  to  get  to  it . 12 

How  to  see  Stereoscopic  Photographs 13 

ITINERARY 

1.  From  Inspiration  Point  (E.N.E.)  through  Yosemite 

Valley,  showing  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  El  Capitan, 
Sentinel  and  Half  Dome 18 

2.  El  Capitan  (3,300  ft.  high),  most  imposing  of  granite 

cliffs,  east  to  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest  ....  23 

3.  Ribbon  Falls  (2,000  foot  leap),  looking  north,  from  the 

Valley,  near  Merced  River 25 

4.  El  Capitan,  a solid  granite  mountain  (3,300  ft.  high), 

(N.W.)  from  across  the  beautiful  Merced  River  . . 27 

5.  The  Three  Brothers  (Eagle  Peak  in  centre) , from  down 

the  Valley  — one  of  the  strange  formations  of  won- 
derful Yosemite 28 

6.  North  Dome,  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest,  (E.N.E.) 

from  north  of  River,  opposite  Three  Brothers  ...  31 

7.  Mirror  View  of  the  majestic  Cathedral  Rocks — look- 

ing (W.S.W.)  down  the  valley 34 

8.  Amid  Yosemite’s  Charms  — Sentinel  Hotel,  looking 

north  across  Valley  to  Yosemite  Falls 36 

9.  Majestic  Yosemite  Point  and  wind-sprayed  Yosemite 

Falls  (1,600  ft.  leap),  looking  N.N.E 37 

10.  The  Valley,  Half  Dome,  Nevada  Falls,  Cap  of  Liberty 

and  imposing  Sierras  (E.S.E.),  from  Eagle  Peak  . 41 

11.  Yosemite  Falls  from  Glacier  Point  Trail 45 

12.  Looking  straight  up  the  sheer  face  of  (jlacier  Point 

(3,000  ft.)  to  the  Overhanging  Rocks 46 

13.  Looking  straight  down  from  Overhanging  Rocks,  Gla- 

cier Point  (3,257  ft.),  into  the  Valley  below  . ...  49 

14.  Nearly  a mile  straight  down  and  only  a step — from 

Glacier  Point  (N.W.),  across  Valley  to  Yosemite 
Falls,  Yosemite 50 

15.  Overlooking  nature’s  grandest  scenery — from  Glacier 

Point  (N.E.)  over  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest  . . 52 

16.  From  Glacier  Point  (N.E.)  up  Tenaiya  Canon,  over 

Mirror  Lake,  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest  ....  55 

17.  Nevada  and  Vernal  Falls,  and  Cap  of  Liberty,  from 

Glacier  Point  (E.S.E.)  to  Mount  Clark  (11,250  ft.)  . 57 

18.  Amid  the  majestic  heights  and  chasms  of  wonderful 

Yosemite  Valley— from  Trail  (N.N.W.)  to  North 
and  Basket  Domes 60 

19.  On  the  brink  of  a fearful  chasm — from  Glacier  Canon 

(N.E.)  to  Half  Dome 62 

20.  Climbing  up  the  steep  Zig-zag  Trail  at  the  eastern  end 

of  Yosemite  Valley 64 

21.  Nevada  Falls  (605  ft.  fall)  and  Cap  of  Liberty  (1,800  ft. 

high)  from  Trail,  looking  east 65 

22.  Mirror  Lake,  where  nature  multiplies  her  charms— 

looking  (N.E.)  to  Mount  Watkins 67 

23.  From  Cloud’s  Rest  (N.N.E.)  over  Lake  Tenaiya  to 

the  distant  Matterhorn  (12,176  ft.).  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains 69 

24.  From  Cloud’s  Rest  (S.E)  over  Little  Yosemite  Valley 

to  Mount  Clark  (11,250  ft.), Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  70 

MAP 

Map  of  Yosemite  Valley  showing  Wagon -roads  and  Trails 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY 


Where  It  Is 

The  Yosemite  Valley  lies  in  a direct  line, 
east  by  slightly  south,  from  San  Francisco. 
It  is  in  Mariposa  County,  California.  Geo- 
graphically it  is  in  the  centre  of  the  State, 
and  midway  between  the  eastern  and  west- 
ern limits  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Moun- 
tains. 

What  It  Is 

It  is  a section  of  the  great  granite  back- 
bone of  North  America,  which  follows  the 
California  State  line  to  the  northern 
boundary,  Oregon,  with  almost  mathe- 
matical accuracy — the  largest  exposure 
of  igneous  rocks  to  be  found  on  the 
continent.  The  actual  reservation  is 
about  seven  miles  long  from  east  to 
west  and  from  half  a mile  to  a mile 
and  a half  wide,  but  there  is  no  visible 
boundary  dividing  it  from  the  adjacent  Si- 
erras, which  range  in  every  direction  be- 
yond the  limits  of  the  widest  view  from  its 
highest  pinnacle,  Cloud’s  Rest  Mountain, 
though  that  is  ten  thousand  feet  above  sea 
level.  The  main  valley  floor  is  three  thou- 
sand feet  above  sea  level.  Through  this 
the  Merced  River  runs  amid  level  meadow 
lands.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the  main 
valley,  the  land  rises  and  divides  into  three 
valleys.  Down  the  main  one  come  the  up- 
per waters  of  the  Merced,  which,  after  de- 


6 


scending  two  thousand  feet  in  two  miles  of 
rapids,  makes  two  final  leaps  over  the  Ne- 
vada and  Vernal  Falls,  together  another 
one  thousand  feet.  The  northeastern  val- 
ley is  the  source  of  the  Tenaiya  Creek, 
which,  rising  in  the  far-off  snow  fields  of 
the  Upper  Sierras,  comes  down  to  the  Mer- 
ced in  a series  of  cascades,  no  one  of  which 
is  comparatively  of  any  great  height,  al- 
though of  great  beauty.  The  third  branch 
valley  is  the  bed  of  the  South  Fork  or 
Illiouette  River,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the 
mountains  to  the  south  and  empties  itself 
into  the  Merced  River  over  the  cliff  front 
in  a flood.  The  other  falls,  of  which  the 
main  ones  are  the  Yosemite,  Bridal  Veil 
and  Virgin’s  Tear  or  Ribbon  Falls,  are  of 
a different  character.  They  do  not  follow 
valleys  of  the  character  of  the  Merced,  the 
Tenaiya  and  South  Fork,  but  take  their 
rise  on  the  uplands  and  fall  over  the  cliff 
from  the  upper  levels  at  one  bound — the 
Yosemite  from  a height  of  twenty-six 
hundred  and  the  Bridal  Veil  six  hundred 
feet. 

The  main  valley  is  bounded  on  every 
side  by  sheer  cliffs  of  bare  granite.  The 
first  on  the  north  as  we  enter  from  the 
west,  El  Capitan,  is  three  thousand  three 
hundred  feet  high  and  all  but  perpendicu- 
lar. Next  on  the  north  and  scarcely  sep- 
arated from  him,  are  the  Three  Brothers, 
three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  high.  North  Dome,  on  the  same  side 
of  the  main  valley,  is  only  divided  by  a 
canyon  so  narrow  as  to  be  scarcely  visible, 
and  the  Dome  is  three  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  above  the 


7 


valley.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
valley,  immediately  opposite  El  Capi- 
tan,  are  the  Cathedral  Rocks  and  Spires 
two  thousand  six  hundred  feet  high. 
While  at  so  short  a distance  that  their 
slopes  meet,  is  Sentinel  Rock,  three  thou- 
sand one  hundred  feet,  and  Sentinel  Dome, 
four  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet.  On  the  tongue  of  land  which 
stands  between  the  Tenaiya  and  Merced 
Valleys,  are  respectively.  Half  Dome, 
five  thousand  feet;  the  Cap  of  Liberty, 
two  thousand  feet,  and,  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  Tenaiya  Valley,  Mt.  Watkins, 
eight  thousand  two  hundred  feet.  Farther 
back,  marking  three  of  the  angles  of  the 
Park’s  boundaries,  rise  Cloud’s  Rest,  ten 
thousand  feet ; Mt.  Storm  King,  nine  thou- 
sand and  eighty  feet,  and  Indian  Rock, 
eight  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  feet,  while  on  the  northern  and  east- 
ern horizons,  visible  in  the  distance  from 
the  Park,  are  the  mighty  bulks  and  peaks 
of  Mt.  Clark,  Mt.  Dana.  Mts.  Lyell  and 
McClure,  Mt.  Hoffman  and  Mt.  Ritter. 

How  It  Came  To  Be 

The  origin  of  this  great  Sierra  range 
was  fire ; every  atom  of  the  towering 
mountain  is  igneous.  It  is  of  the  rock  of 
the  primal  base  of  the  world,  below  which 
the  knowledge  of  man  comes  to  an  end. 
The  primal  elements  of  which  the  core  of 
this  earth  was  made,  produced  the  granite 
of  these  hills,  and  they  were  melted  and 
fluxed  by  heat,  crystallizing  into  what  they 
are  now ; but  at  that  time  their  crests  were 


8 


higher  and  more  regular  and  even  in  sur- 
face. After  the  fire  came  snow  and  coy- 
ered  the  whole  area  to  unknowable  depths, 
just  as  Greenland,  and  the  far  north  and 
the  Antarctics  are  covered  to-day,  with 
this  difference  that  the  edge  of  the  old  Si- 
erra snow  cap  was  on  land.  Now  it  is  one 
of  the  commonplaces  of  such  conditions 
that  snow  caps  can  have  no  foundations 
but  sunshine ; therefore  all  their  lower 
fringes  are  everlastingly  melting  and  let- 
ting down  the  top  inch  by  inch,  sometimes 
as  fast  as  the  top  is  renewed,  sometimes 
faster. 

This  everlasting  slipping  down  of  the 
snow  and  ice  cap  brings  with  it  on  the  bot- 
tom and  sides  of  the  ice  pieces  of  imbed- 
ded rock,  and  they,  necessarily,  grind  and 
file  off  the  subjacent  softer  earthbed.  Pres- 
ently, distinct  courses  are  ground,  and  un- 
derneath the  ice,  the  melting  waters  will 
follow  regular  little  channels.  These  will 
continually  tend  to  be  more  definite ; turn- 
ing corners  where  the  impediments  are  un- 
yielding and  following  the  planes  of  least 
resistance.  In  the  course  of  ages  the  sun 
gets  the  mastery  of  the  snow  and  ice  and 
melting  its  edges  faster  than  its  top  is 
renewed,  drives  them  back  up  and  up, 
then  the  streams  in  each  necessarily  be- 
comes more  powerful.  At  last,  when,  as  is 
the  case  to-day,  all  but  the  highest  of  the 
mountains  are,  every  summer,  uncovered 
of  their  snow,  we  can  see  on  the  crowns 
the  scratchings  and  filings  of  the  ancient 
ice,  and  in  the  valley  which  they  ground 
out,  the  trout  stream  flows,  and  over  cliffs 


9 


which  were  too  hard  to  be  leveled,  the 
water  now  falls. 

These  phenomena  alone  are  ample  to  ac- 
count for  the  three  subsidiary  valleys  into 
which  the  main  valley  divides  at  its  east- 
ern extremity ; but  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  abruptness  of  the  sides  of 
the  main  valley  is  the  result  of  subterra- 
nean disturbance,  during  which  the  bot- 
tom of  it  sank. 

Such  is  the  physical  history  of  the  Yo- 
semite,  in  two  chapters,  going  back  to  the 
origin  of  the  world — the  simplest  and  least 
complicated  of  any  of  the  chapters  of  na- 
ture’s book. 

The  Resultant 

The  result  for  us,  to-day,  is  a district  of 
marked  characteristic,  differing  from  any  of 
the  other  great  public  parks  of  the  United 
States.  An  endless  variety  of  abrupt 
primeval,  granite  cliffs  and  crystal  falls  in 
an  atmosphere  of  singular  clarity,  on 
whose  ultra  blue  vault  float  cloud-scapes 
of  remarkable  and  ever  changing  aspects, 
and  from  whose  tops  there  spreads  such 
seas  of  sunrise  and  sunset  colors  as  are 
to  be  enjoyed  in  few  parts  in  the  world. 

Its  valleys  and  shady  places  teem  with 
flowers  in  never-ending  variety  and  beau- 
ty ; its  lesser  heights  are  covered  with  the 
most  fragrant  and  beautiful  of  flowering 
shrubs.  Its  mountains,  wherever  life  is 
possible,  are  dotted  or  covered  to  their 
crests  with  fragrant  pines.  Its  waters,  be- 
low the  falls,  are  the  home  of  native  trout ; 
the  bear  finds  a home  and  plenty  in  its 


10 


woods;  the  blacktail  deer  shades  himself 
in  its  recesses  until  the  first  approach 
of  winter  drives  him  down  to  the  lower 
lands.  The  mountain  beaver  spends  his 
busy  days  in  the  topmost  streams ; and  the 
squirrel  chatters  his  defiance  in  every  cop- 
pice. Over  every  brook  the  lovely  water- 
ouzel  wings  his  way;  the  wood-pecker  is 
busy  by  every  trail,  and  the  eagle  and  the 
hawk  cleave  their  way  to  heights  where 
we  envy  them  their  spread  of  view. 

How  It  Came  To  Be  Preserved 

How  it  can  be  preserved  is  not  a long, 
but  it  is  an  instructive  story.  Up  to  the 
year  1850,  this  wonderful  valley  had,  in  all 
probability,  never  been  seen  by  the  eye  of 
a white  man;  the  only  possible  exception 
may  have  been  some  wandering  Russian 
trapper,  whose  settlement  was  at  the  Rus- 
sian Fort  Ross,  now  San  Francisco,  where 
the  split-eagle  banner  of  the  Czar  floated 
from  1812  to  1842.  One  such  might  have 
followed  the  Merced  as  high  as  this  valley, 
intent  on  furs. 

A little  before  1850  a few  of  the  disap- 
pointed among  the  gold  seekers  settled  on 
the  head  waters  of  the  San  Joaquin  River 
and  were  constantly  harried  by  Indians; 
so  much  so  that  in  1851  the  settlers  banded 
together  for  the  purpose  of  following  them 
up  into  their  aforetime  retreats,  and  under 
the  guidance  of  Chief  Tenaiya,  whose  name 
is  preserved  in  the  lake  of  that  name  near- 
by Mt.  Hoffman,  and  in  the  valley  before 
mentioned,  they  drove  the  Indians  out  of 
the  Yosemite  Valley,  where  they  thought 


they  were  impregnable,  and  made  peace, 
which,  however,  did  not  last.  Next  year, 
the  Mariposa  Garrison,  a more  imposing 
gathering  of  border  white  men,  had  to  re- 
peat the  operations,  and  this  time  they  put 
an  end  to  all  further  opposition. 

One  or  more  of  that  party  took  back  to 
civilization  what  was  looked  upon  by  most 
as  a traveller’s  yarn  of  a wonderful  water- 
fall, but  Mr.  J.  M.  Hutchings,  anxious  for 
striking  matter  for  his  magazine,  ''  The 
Californian,”  in  1855,  collected  a party  and 
made  investigations  which,  for  the  first 
time,  made  the  outer  world  acquainted 
with  the  Yosemite  treasures.  Naturally,  a 
region  so  rich  and  rare,  and  novel  soon  at- 
tracted other  seekers  after  the  beauties  of 
nature,  and  in  1850  the  Lower  Hotel,  the 
first  house  in  the  valley  was  built. 

It  was  not  long  before  land  claims  were 
made  and  the  park  had  a narrow  escape 
from  passing  into  private  hands,  as  some 
of  it,  in  fact,  did,  giving  rise  to  troublesome 
subsequent  litigation,  but  from  this  danger 
the  district  was  preserved  by  the  granting 
of  it  by  the  Federal  Government  to  the 
State  of  California  to  be  set  apart  as  a pub- 
lic park  for  ever. 

What  the  settlers  could  not  own  they 
could  spoil,  and  thousands  of  beasts  and 
sheep  trespassing  within  it,  threatened  like 
hoofed  locusts  to  devour  every  green 
thing,  including,  of  course,  the  tender  seed- 
ling tree  and  sapling,  and  what  they  did  not 
eat  was  burned  by  fires,  sometimes  set 
alight  that  grass  might  grow  on  the  ruins, 
and  sometimes  the  result  of  herdmen’s 
carelessness. 


12 


To  obviate  these  evils,  Federal  troops 
now  patrol  it,  and  to  show  the  extent  of  the 
past  danger,  it  is  only  necessary  to  quote 
from  the  report  of  the  special  inspection 
of  the  Park,  that  between  June  and  Septem- 
ber, 1893,  three  hundred  and  fifty  head  of 
horses,  over  a thousand  cattle  and  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  thousand  trespass- 
ing sheep  were  driven  out  of  the  Park's 
bounds.  Greater  vigilance  is  required  to 
keep  trappers  out  of  it  in  winter  if  the 
head  of  game  and  fish  is  to  be  maintained 
— a consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished. 

How  To  Get  To  It 

Broadly,  this  depends  upon  whence  you 
come,  and  what  you  want  to  see  on  the 
way.  Practically,  however,  the  subject  re- 
duces itself  into  reaching  the  Park  from 
San  Francisco.  Perhaps  the  best  direct 
route  is  to  strike  for  Merced.  Two  routes 
are  open:  one  by  all  rail  to  Mer- 

ced, the  other,  by  boat  to  Stock- 
ton,  and  thence  by  rail  to  Merced, 
one  hundred  and  fifty-three  miles.  From 
Merced  we  chose  the  Mariposa  trail,  on 
which  the  stage  runs  from  Merced  to 
Mariposa,  the  county  seat.  The  last  fifty 
miles,  Mariposa  to  the  Yosemite,  can  be 
driven,  or  ridden,  or  tramped,  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  party,  or  the  predilection 
of  its  individual  constituents.  This  trail 
will  be  found  on  the  annexed  map  within 
an  inch  of  the  bottom  left-hand  corner, 
making  its  winding  way  northward  as  di- 
rect as  the  inequalities  of  the  ground  and 
the  necessity  of  turnings  to  perserve  an 
available  grade,  will  permit  it.  Just  beyond 


13 


where  it  crosses  the  imaginary  line  of  the 
Park’s  boundary,  you  will  notice  it  passes 
between  Fort  Monroe  and  the  Hermitage, 
by  which  time,  it  has  reached  the  top  of  the 
southern  cliffs  of  the  Yosemite  Valley  at 
In^iration  Point. 

Before  proceeding  on  our  stereoscopic 
tour  of  the  valley,  it  will  be  prudent  to 
read  these  well-considered  words  of  ad- 
vice. 

How  To  See  Stereoscopic  Photographs 

(A)  Experiment  with  the  sliding  rack 
which  holds  the  stereographs  until  you  find 
the  distance  that  suits  the  focus  of  your 
eyes.  The  distance  varies  greatly  with  dif- 
ferent people. 

(B)  Have  a strong,  steady  light  on  the 
stereograph.  It  is  often  best  to  be  sitting 
with  the  back  toward  the  window  or  lamp, 
letting  the  light  fall  over  one  shoulder  on 
the  face  of  the  stereograph. 

(C)  Hold  the  stereoscope  with  the  hood 
close  against  the  forehead  and  temples, 
shutting  off  entirely  all  immediate  sur- 
roundings. The  less  you  are  conscious  of 
things  close  about  you,  the  more  strong 
will  be  the  feeling  of  actual  presence  in  the 
scenes  you  are  studying. 

(D)  First,  read  the  statement  in  regard 
to  the  location  on  the  map,  of  a place  you 
are  about  to  see,  so  as  to  have  already  in 
mind,  when  you  look  at  a given  view,  just 
where  you  are  and  what  is  before  you. 
After  loking  at  the  scene  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  your  location  and  the  points  of 
the.  compass  clear,  then  read  the  explana- 


14 


tory  notes.  On  the  map  you  will  find  given 
the  exact  location  of  each  successive  stand- 
point (at  the  apex  of  the  red  V in  each 
case)  and  the  exact  range  of  the  view  ob- 
tained from  that  standpoint  (shown  in  each 
case  by  the  space  included  between  the 
spreading  arms  of  the  same  V).  The  Map 
System  is  admirably  clear  and  satisfactory, 
and  should  make  one  feel,  after  a little, 
quite  at  home  around  Yosemite. 

(E)  Do  not  look  over  the  stereographs 
too  rapidly.  This  is  the  greatest  mistake 
people  make  in  using  them.  Each  stereo- 
graph should  be  studied  and  pondered 
over.  Usually  illustrations  and  photo- 
graphs serve  merely  as  an  embellishment 
or  supplement  to  the  text  or  reading  mat- 
ter of  the  book  or  article.  In  this  case 
that  order  is  reversed.  The  stereographs 
form  the  real  text,  and  all  that  is  given  in 
this  book  is  intended  as  a supplement  to 
the  stereographs,  as  a help  to  their  proper 
use.  Dr.  Holmes  well  said:  ''  It  is  a mis- 
take to  suppose  that  one  knows  a stereo- 
scopic picture  after  he  has  studied  it  a 
hundred  times.  There  is  such  an  amount 
of  detail  that  we  have  the  same  sense  of 
infinite  complexity  which  nature  gives  us.'’ 
By  taking  time  to  note  some  of  these 
numberless  details,  we  are  helped  as  in  no 
other  way  to  feel  that  we  are  in  the  very 
presence  of  the  places  or  people  repre- 
sented before  us. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY  THROUGH 
THE  STEREOSCOPE 


Following  the  method  indicated  in  the 
above  advice,  one  can,  by  the  use  of  the 
stereographs  of  the  Park  and  the  special 
map  accompanying  this  booklet,  although 
never  having  visited  the  Park,  obtain  an 
experience  so  vivid  as  to  be  similar  in  all 
essential  respects  to  that  gained  by  a per- 
son actually  present.  One  is  able  to  know 
with  exactness  what  is  before  him  in  each 
stereograph,  the  spot  from  which  he  is 
looking,  and  the  direction  in  which  he  is 
looking,  and,  remembering  that  the  top  of 
the  map  is  due  north,  he  can  always,  and 
easily,  keep  his  bearings  as  he  moves  from 
one  place  to  another. 

Now,  spread  the  map  of  Yosemite  out 
before  you.  In  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
you  will  notice  the  skeleton  map,  which  in- 
dicates the  relative  position  of  California 
to  the  rest  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
position,  by  a black  spot,  of  the  Yosemite 
Valley  in  relation  to  San  Francisco.  It  is 
easy  to  remember  that  the  top  of  each  map 
is  due  north.  Now  look  at  the  larger  map 
and  study  the  general  features  of  the  val- 
ley and  its  immediate  surroundings.  First, 


i6 


trace  the  Park  boundary,  which  you  notice 
is  roughly  an  oblong  square,  the  longest 
diameter  being  from  east  to  west,  and  the 
narrowest  from  north  to  south.  Run  the 
eye  round  it  first  from  Fort  Monroe  near 
the  western  limits.  It  passes  on  due  north 
over  the  Merced  River  and  a tributary  to 
the  Cascade  Creek.  Thence  it  turns,  at 
right  angles,  northeastward  over  the  hills 
three  parts  of  the  length  of  the  map  to  In- 
dian Rock,  eight  thousand  four  hundred 
and  sixty-two  feet  above  sea  level,  which 
serves  now  as  a sort  of  pivot.  Here  the 
boundary  turns  southeastward  to  Cloud’s 
Rest,  another  mountain,  nine  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  twelve  feet  high,  and  starts 
almost  due  south  to  yet  another  mountain, 
Starr  King,  nine  thousand  and  eighty  feet 
high.  Here  it  turns  sharp  back,  westward 
and  southwestward,  again,  and  then  due 
westward  and  northwestward  till  it  joins 
our  starting  point  at  Fort  Monroe.  This 
is  a good  preliminary  exercise  to  ground 
the  Park  limits  in  your  mind.  Now,  look 
at  the  map  again,  and  the  first  thing  which 
will  strike  you  is  the  sinuous  black  mark 
starting  from  a little  north  of  Fort  Monroe 
and  winding  deviously  eastward  between 
two  shaded  ranges  of  hills,  until  it  comes 
to  a point  marked  on  the  map  Lamon’s 
Orchard.  That  black  mark  represents  the 
main  river  coming  down  the  valley  from 


17 


the  east,  the  Merced  River.  Now,  notice, 
that  at  Lamon's  Orchard  it  splits  into  two, 
and  throws  off  a branch  toward  the  north- 
eastward, the  Tenaiya  Creek  which  goes 
up  between  North  Dome  and  Mt.  Watkins 
on  its  north  and  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s 
Rest  on  its  south.  At  Lamon’s  Orchard, 
the  Merced  River  itself  turns  south  until  it 
gets  to  the  foot  of  Grizzly  Peak,  where  it, 
too,  strikes  due  eastward  up  its  own  valley 
between  Liberty  Cap  and  Mt.  Starr  King. 
But,  just  as  it  turns  due  east  at  Grizzly 
Peak,  notice  that  it  receives,  coming  from 
due  south,  the  South  Fork.  We  now  have 
all  the  waterways  and  their  whereabouts 
in  mind,  and  are  ready  for  the  next  step. 
Now,  look  at  the  map  for  another  purpose. 
Look  at  the  red  lines.  At  first  glance  they 
will  appear  very  criss-crossly  confusing, 
but  out  of  this  apparent  chaos  will  come  a 
system  which  is  simplicity  itself.  Notice 
first  on  the  map  there  are  many  red  numer- 
als inclosed  in  red  circles,  and  that  each  red 
numeral  so  inclosed  is  at  or  near  a point 
where  two  red  lines  converge.  Follow  each 
of  these  straight  lines  to  its  further  end, 
and  you  will  find  a red  number,  uninclosed, 
corresponding  with  the  number  in  the  cir- 
cle at  their  start.  The  point  where  the  red 
circle  is  is  the  point  of  view,  and  the  con- 
verging red  lines  include  within  their  angle 
the  territory  we  are  to  look  over  in  the  var- 


i8 


ious  stereographs.  Once  started  on  this 
investigation,  you  will  find  the  keenest 
pleasure  in  hunting  out  on  the  map  the 
successive  points  of  observation,  and  the 
trajection  of  the  diverging  lines,  and  in 
moving  from  one  standpoint  to  another. 

We  are  to  go  first  to  a spot  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  northeast  of  Fort  Monroe, 
just  where  the  road  makes  a sharp  turn. 
It  is  numbered  i,  in  a red  circle,  on  the 
map.  Put  the  point  of  your  pencil  on  it. 
From  it  you  will  notice  two  red  lines 
branch  out  toward  the  east,  and  northeast 
by  east,  respectively.  One,  the  lower  and 
eastern  one,  extends  to  the  extremity  of 
the  map  on  its  right-hand  margin  at  the 
red  figure  i (without  the  circle) ; the 
other,  the  northeast  by  east  line,  extends 
only  across  to  the  face  of  El  Capitan,  and 
has  a similar  uncircled  red  figure  i at 
its  end.  We  will  now  take  our  stand  at  the 
point  from  which  these  red  lines  start  and 
look  out  on  all  that  is  included  within 
them,  that  is,  we  are  to  look  from  Inspira- 
tion Point  up  the  main  valley. 

I.  From  Inspiration  Point ^(E.  N.  ^E.) 
through  Yosemite  Valley — showing 
Bridal  Veil  Falls,  El  Capitan,  Sen- 
tinel and  Half  Dome 

As  our  first  standpoint  in  Yosemite, 
''  Inspiration  Point  ” is  a happy  choice,  for 


19 


suddenly,  from  among  the  very  branches  of 
the  overhanging  pines  on  the  very  edge  of 
the  rugged  cliffs,  there  bursts,  without 
warning,  in  splendor  bright  the  whole  cen- 
tral valley  from  its  gateway  to  farthest 
Cloud^s  Rest,  twelve  miles  as  the  crow 
flies,  with  all  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of 
nature  intervening  in  this  region  of  the 
majesties.  Standing  here  drawing  in  the 
inspirations  which  the  dullest  soul  must 
feel  in  such  a presence,  we  are  three  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  tops  of  those  trees  be- 
low, which  completely  hide  the  waters  of 
the  Merced  River,  but  we  know  its  where- 
abouts, because  we  have  traced  it  on  our 
map,  and  got  that,  and  much  more,  fixed 
in  our  minds.  Where  shall  we  begin  first? 
Well,  here  immediately  upon  our  right  is 
the  one  spot  of  action.  Surely  that  is  the 
Bridal  Veil  Fall?  It  is!  and  though  so 
clear  cut  and  brilliant  in  the  sunshine,  it  is, 
in  fact,  two  miles  and  a half  from  where  we 
are  standing.  Usually  a rainbow  is  hover- 
ing over  it.  I have  heard  of  those  who 
have  been  fortunate  enough  to  see  the  arc 
double  upon  itself  into  a circle.  Its  waters 
gather  away  to  the  south  and  come  down 
between  the  Leaning  Tower  (hidden  by 
the  trees  on  our  right)  and  the  Cathedral 
Rocks  in  one  leap,  six  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  perpendicular,  where,  as  we  can  see 
even  from  here,  it  strikes  a pile  of  debris 


20 


from  the  clif¥  sides.  Down  these  it  rushes 
by  a thousand  channels  and  cascades 
three  hundred  feet  more,  but  seen  from 
the  front  as  we  are  looking  at  it,  the 
one  thousand  feet  seem  one  fall.  The 
currents  of  air  coming  up  and  down  the 
the  main  valley  or  the  side  gullies,  waft 
and  wave  the  waters  into  gauziest  film 
and  perfectly  justify  the  name  of  this 
most  fantastic  and  captivating  of  nature’s 
water  falls.  Behind  the  Falls  and  the 
granite  Cathedral  Rocks  over  which  it 
hurries,  so  immediately  behind  as  to  sug- 
gest proximity,  though  ’tis  a mile  to  his 
crest,  is  the  mighty  bulk  of  the  Sentinel, 
whose  graceful  ridge  arches  from  the  val- 
ley floor  heavenward  eight  thousand  one 
hundred  and  twenty-two  feet.  (See  Map.) 
Still  eastward  over  the  crest  of  the  Sen- 
tinel— three  miles  beyond,  in  fact — is  the 
pale  gray  peak,  clean  cut  and  unmistak- 
able, of  Half  Dome,  'eight  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  twenty  feet,  while  in  the 
further  distance,  four  miles  beyond  Half 
Dome,  closing  in  the  view,  is  Cloud’s  Rest 
nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twelve 
feet,  so  blue  by  distance  as  to  be  barely 
distinguishable,  and  little  more  substantial 
than  the  cloud-flecked  firmament  above 
it.  Be  sure  you  get  the  mountain  mass- 
es I have  mentioned,  clearly  in  mind. 
First,  on  the  right,  behind  the  waterfall, 


21 


are  the  Cathedral  Rocks ; second,  the  long 
dark  slope  from  the  middle  of  the  valley 
to  the  Sentinel  Dome,  and  then  the  clear- 
cut  Half  Dome,  and  farthest  away,  the 
lofty  Cloud’s  Rest.  After  a while  we  shall 
climb  that  ridge  toward  Sentinel  Dome, 
and,  finally,  we  shall  stand  on  Cloud’s 
Rest.  That,  you  remember,  is  the  most 
eastern  point  of  the  Park  Reservation. 
(See  Map.) 

It  speaks  wonders  for  the  huge  scale  on 
which  this  scene  is  built  that  the  perpen- 
dicular granite  wall,  springing  up  clear  ver- 
ticle  from  the  slope  of  the  valley  farthest 
to  our  left,  is  El  Capitan,  whose  pearly, 
creamy,  granite  front,  springs  a sheer  three 
thousand  and  three  hundred  feet  from  the 
valley  into  which  we  are  looking.  There 
are  many  details  which  these  great  dis- 
tances absorb.  Look,  again,  more  closely 
beyond  the  Cathedral  Rocks  and  through 
the  pulsing  air,  coming  through  the  in- 
tervening chines,  you  will  make  out,  upon 
the  front  of  the  Sentinel  Dome,  one  of  na- 
ture’s obelisks.  It  beggars  the  largest 
made  by  man,  even  the  Washington  one, 
for  it  stands  on  a pediment  two  thousand 
feet  high,  just  like  a watch  tower,  prone 
out  from  its  citadel  walls  a thousand  feet; 
and  if  we  were  nearer,  as  we  shall  be, 
the  illusion  would  be  heightened  by  an 
apparent  buttress  to  a city  wall  flanking 


22 


the  obelisk  to  the  main  structure.  Well 
might  the  Indian  name  it  ''  the  place  to 
give  a signal.'’ 

But  we  have  much  to  see  and  must 
move  on  down  into  that  valley  for  a nearer 
view  of  these  wonders.  There  is  a trail 
leading  down.  First  it  zigzags  backward 
and  forward  east  and  west  along  the  cliff’s 
face  at  our  feet,  and  then  starts  off  more 
boldly  down  the  hillside  toward  the  right, 
until  it  crosses  the  rushing  torrents  from 
the  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  where  we  saw  the 
waters  disappear  in  the  talus  from  the 
cliffs.  So  soon  as  we  are  down  on  the  level 
of  the  main  valley  we  cross  the  Merced 
River,  and  the  road  coming  from  the  east 
on  its  north  bank  and  begin  an  ascent,  for 
a short  distance,  of  the  Big  Oak  Flat  Trail 
leading  up  along  the  steep  slope  farthest 
to  our  left,  and,  finally,  out  of  the  valley 
westward,  farther  to  the  left  than  we  can 
see  here.  We  shall  climb  to  a point  on 
that  slope  seen  near  the  limit  of  our  vision 
on  our  left,  and  over  this  bush,  almost 
within  reach  of  our  hands.  There  we  can 
see  El  Capitan. 

Looking  on  the  map  again,  you  can  find 
the  trail  I have  spoken  of  leading  down 
into  the  valley  from  our  position  at  In- 
spiration Point.  You  find  the  bridge 
across  the  Merced  River,  near  the  Bridal 


23 


Veil  Falls,  and  the  Big  Oak  Flat  Road, 
leading  back  westward  along  the  cliffs  on 
the  northern  side  of  the  river.  Almost  op- 
posite the  Bridal  Veil  Falls  you  find  the 
figure  two  in  a red  circle,  and  this  circle 
is  connected  by  a serpentine  line  with  the 
juncture  of  two  red  lines  which  branch 
toward  the  east.  We  are  to  stand  now  at 
the  point  from  which  these  two  lines  start, 
and  shall  look  out  over  the  territory  lying 
between  them.  One  of  these  lines,  the 
northern  one,  ends  on  the  face  of  El  Capi- 
tan.  The  other  is  extended  only  to  the 
Sentinel  Rock,  because,  practically,  the 
view  ends  there,  although  the  top  of  Half 
Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest  will  also  be  seen. 

2.  El  Capitan  (35300  feet  high),  most  im- 
posing of  granite  cliffs — east  to  Half 
Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest,  Yosemite 
Valley 

What  an  awe-inspiring,  wondrous  expo- 
sure of  a section  of  the  veritable  backbone 
of  the  world  this  El  Capitan  is.  Old  as  the 
universe,  three  thousand  and  three  hun- 
dred feet  of  it  exposed  as  by  the  cut  of  a 
surgeon’s  knife ! and  how  deep,  deep 
down  into  the  very  body  below,  out  of 
sight,  who  can  tell?  Beneath  the  feet  of 
El  Capitan  all  is  guess  and  scientific  spec- 
ulation, and  man’s  finite  faculties  stand 
abashed. 


24 


Nowhere  in  the  world  is  there  such  an 
exposure  of  the  muscles  and  sinews  of  the 
core  of  the  earth.  What,  from  over  the 
valley  upon  the  heights  of  Inspiration 
Point,  looked  smooth  as  cream,  we  see 
now  seamed  and  rent  from  base  to  top- 
mast, with  vertical  cleavage  lines  and  rag- 
ged indents,  as  if  some  giant  had  ripped 
away  the  outer  skin  and  left  the  quivering 
sinews  to  harden  by  exposure.  It  is  a 
wondrous  sight ! The  distant  Half  Dome, 
over  the  brow  of  the  Sentinel  Ridge  which 
comes  down  away  to  our  right,  and  still 
farther.  Cloud’s  Rest,  are  too  far  away  to 
pall  the  majesty  of  El  Capitan.  The 
serried  ranks  of  mighty  conifers  following 
each  other  up  the  sloping  talus  from  the 
valley,  until  they  reach  his  bare  walls 
which  say  ''  thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no 
farther,”  are  but  marks  on  the  scale,  mi- 
nute fractions,  as  it  were,  on  a yard  meas- 
ure, which  enable  us  to  calculate  by  units 
the  mighty  mass.  The  tiny  pines  of  El 
Capitan’s  crest,  brothers  to  those  on  the 
slope  at  his  feet,  accentuate  the  distance 
from  the  valley  to  his  crest.  Even  the  In- 
dians had,  before  the  coming  of  the  white 
man,  ycleped  this  impressive  escarpment 
The  Great  Chief,”  as  well  they  might,  for 
great  it  is ! 

As  we  stand  here,  the  Ribbon  Falls,  the 


25 


highest  falls  in  the  valley,  are  leaping  over 
cliffs  which  stand  off  to  our  right  beyond 
our  present  range  of  vision.  To  see  it,  we 
shall  go  forward  and  down  near  the  river 
on  our  right,  and  look  sharply  to  our  left 
at  right  angles  to  our  present  line  of  vis- 
ion. See  on  the  map  the  red  figure  3 in  a 
circle  near  the  river,  almost  a mile  east 
of  our  present  position,  and  the  two  red 
lines  which  branch  toward  the  north. 

3.  Ribbon  Falls  (2,200  feet  leap),  looking 
North,  from  the  Valley  near  Merced 
River,  Yosemite 

Over  the  tops  of  the  intervening  forest 
flashes,  as  it  were  from  the  sky,  the  Rib- 
bon Fall,  long  known,  and  poetically  so, 
as  ''  The  Virgin’s  Tear  Fall.”  Its  course 
is  marked  by  a deep  recess  in  the  sheer 
face  of  the  rocks  for  fifteen  hundred  feet 
downward  from  the  sky  line.  The  Virgin’s 
Tear  must  have  been  bitter  to  have  eroded 
so  deep  a scar,  probably,  as  one  wit  has  re- 
marked, because  she  was  not  yet  a bride. 
But,  a more  charitable  interpretation  of 
the  name  is  the  fact  that  the  source  of 
supply  of  the  Virgin’s  Tear  fails  quickly, 
and  often,  when  you  visit  the  valley  later 
in  the  summer,  it  is  over,  as  all  maidens’ 
tears  should  be.  The  modern  title.  Rib- 
bon Falls,  although  the  more  literal,  is  not 
so  appropriate.  After  the  first  fall  strikes 


26 


it  passes  rapidly  through  innumerable  cas- 
cades to  a shorter  leap,  hidden  by  the  trees 
from  this  point  of  view,  and  passes  on  to 
the  Merced  River,  twenty-six  hundred  feet 
below  its  first  leap  from  the  granite  rim 
over  which  it  glides,  as  if  from  the  sky. 
The  profusion  of  tree  growths  in  the  shel- 
tered nooks  and  corners  of  this  valley  are 
well  exemplified  by  the  heavy  growths  here 
seen  climbing  the  talus  at  the  cliffs  feet. 
It  was  in  one  of  such  nooks  with  a south- 
ern exposure  that  that  indefatigable  ob- 
server in  all  weathers,  John  Muir,  says 
he  found  the  flowers  in  bloom  all  through 
the  season,  even  in  midwinter. 

El  Capitan  is  just  east  of  these  falls,  to 
our  right  as  we  stand  here.  We  must  go 
eastward  for  another  view  of  him,  looking 
north  and  west.  It  will  be  worth  it, 
though  it  is  easy  walking  down  here  on  the 
flat  meadow  bottom  of  the  Merced  in  the 
central  valley.  We  shall  have  to  go  a hun- 
dred yards  east  on  the  road  north  of  the 
river  and  cross  over,  and  tramp  a mile  on 
the  road  by  the  water  to  get  the  position 
we  want.  Follow  this  route  on  the  map 
and  you  will  find  in  a bend  in  the  river’s 
course  a red  figure  4 in  a circle,  and  two 
short  red  lines  extending  out  from  it,  both 
more  or  less  northwest,  and  showing  the 
boundaries  of  our  next  field  of  vision. 


27 


4.  El  Capitan,  a Solid  Granite  Mountain 
(3,300  feet  high),  (N.  W.)  from  across 
the  Beautiful  Merced  River,  Yosemite 
Valley 

That  is  grand ! Probably  it  is  the  most 
remarkable  and  impressive  view  to  be  ob- 
tained of  any  cliff  in  the  world.  We  are  di- 
rectly in  front  of  the  eastern  side  of  El 
Capitan,  and  half  a mile  from  it,  and  the 
earth  at  our  feet  is  carpeted  with  blue  gen- 
tians and  daisies,  while  breadths  of  purple 
heathworts  swathe  the  meadows,  and  all 
around  the  rose,  the  laurel,  the  lupine  and 
the  honeysuckle  attract  the  humming-bird, 
and  butterflies  of  gorgeous  hues  and  errat- 
ic movements,  chase  the  noonday  sun.  The 
Merced  River  slides  by  at  our  feet,  scarce 
more  disturbed  at  this  point  by  the  impact 
of  its  own  turbulent  tributaries  than  is  the 
Hudson.  Down  into  its  glassy  depths 
sinks  the  reflection  of  the  pines  whose  feet 
it  laps,  and  back  of  its  sand-like  farther 
shore  rises,  as  it  were,  out  of  the  flood, 
mighty  El  Capitan!  gigantic,  perpendicu- 
lar, over-powering,  three  thousand  feet 
above  us,  resplendent  in  the  midday  sun, 
graded  by  a thousand  tints  brought  down 
by  the  organic  laden  waters  of  the  melting 
snow,  yet  a very  type  of  the  eternity  of 
matter,  for  scarce  a fragment  has  fallen 
from  his  mighty  brow  since  the  glacier 
gently  melted  below  his  crest  and  the 


28 


earthquake  shook  him  and  left  him  ex- 
posed to  the  lesser  elements,  which  he 
defies.  Take  a long  look  at  El  Capitan. 
He  is  indeed  a Great  Chief.'’ 

Now  we  must  go  and  have  a look  at 
El  Capitan's  nearest  neighbors  eastward, 
the  Three  Brothers.  They  stand  some- 
what more  than  a mile  directly  to  our 
right.  We  have  not  been  able  to  see  them 
before  either  from  Inspiration  Point 
(Stereograph  No.  i),  or  while  looking 
eastward  (Stereograph  No.  2),  because  of 
the  vast  bulk  of  the  ''  Great  Chief " ; when 
he  is  in  the  line  of  vision,  he  is  apt  to  shut 
out  all  else  and  justify  his  Indian  title,  but 
we  can  circumvent  him  by  walking  back- 
ward from  where  we  are  some  four  or  five 
hundred  yards,  and  then  turning  to  our 
right.  On  the  map,  this  next  standpoint  is 
marked  by  the  figure  5 in  a red  circle. 

5.  The  Three  Brothers  ” (Eagle  Peak  in 
Centre)  from  Down  the  Valley — One 
of  the  Strange  Formations  of  Won- 
derful Yosemite 

We  are  looking  northeast  over  the  tree- 
tops  and  the  Merced  River,  fringed  to  the 
water's  edge  with  lusty  young  timber.  The 
Three  Brothers  seem  to  rise  sheer  up  from 
within  a few  feet  of  the  river's  northern 
bank,  but  they  are  at  least  a mile  off  from 


29 


that  particular  point  of  the  river,  so  does 
the  immense  mass  and  bulk  of  the  cliffs  of 
the  valley  shrink  apparent  distances  and 
deceive  the  eye,  even  when  aided,  as 
nothing  else  can  aid  it,  by  the  atmos- 
phere-preserving stereograph.  That  is  a 
group  unique  in  this  land  of  won- 
ders, and  in  the  world.  Three  gran- 
ite peaks  soldered  onto  one  another. 
Three  Brothers,  each  towering  slightly 
above  the  other  until  the  highest.  Eagle 
Peak,  climbs  into  the  vault  of  heaven, 
three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  above  the  valley.  To  the  Indians, 
these  peaks  suggested  the  very  homely 
game  their  boys  and  the  boys  of  to-day 
play,  ''  Leap  Frog’';  one  mountain  stoop- 
ing down  for  the  other  to  leap  over.  Their 
massive  bases  and  pyramidal  apeces  seem 
to  me  to  suggest,  on  the  contrary,  the 
most  absolute  solidity.  If  ever  perma- 
nence were  apparently  exemplified  in  na- 
ture, surely  it  is  the  view  we  get  of  the 
Three  Brothers;  yet  John  Muir,  thail 
whom  no  man  knows  or  loves  the  high 
Sierras  better,  attests  that  he  once  saw 
Eagle  Peak,  the  highest  of  the  three,  split 
into  thousands  of  titanic  fragments,  which 
were  shaken  from  its  crest  in  an  earth- 
quake, as  a dog  after  a bath  shakes  water 
from  his  coat.  As  they  fell  and  crashed 
upon  each  other  at  its  feet,  the  sparks 


30 


made  a girdle  of  fire  in  an  arc  of  fifteen 
hundred  feet  span,  in  form  as  steady  as  a 
rainbow.  Nay,  more,  the  next  morning 
these  cliffs  and  domes  trembled  like  a 
jelly,”  and  did  not  settle  down  to  a day  of 
entire  rest  for  two  months.  Surely  a spec- 
tacle given  to  few  to  see.  One  well  worthy 
of  record  from  so  gifted  an  eye  and  pen, 
and  only  to  be  credited  when  described  by 
one  of  such  unimpeachable  authority  and 
such  painstaking  care  to  avoid  exaggera- 
tion or  hasty  conclusions.  To  John  Muir 
the  Yosemite  and  the  world  owe  a deep 
debt  for  a lifetime  given  to  its  glorifica- 
tion and  verification. 

Later  we  shall  climb  to  the  very  summit 
of  the  highest  of  the  Three  Brothers, 
Eagle  Peak,  in  the  centre,  and  get  a mag- 
nificent view  toward  the  east. 

Jutting  out  from  behind  the  Three 
Brothers  is  a section  of  the  lower  slopes 
of  the  Eagle  Tower,  behind  which  slope  is 
hidden,  except  for  a short  distance,  where 
it  leaps  over  the  cliffs,  the  Yosemite  Falls. 
The  cliff  to  the  right  of  the  Falls,  to  our 
extreme  right,  is  Yosemite  Point.  We  are 
fully  three  miles  from  that  cataract  now, 
to  say  nothing  of  its  height  above  us.  We 
shall,  however,  see  more  of  that  anon. 

Our  next  standpoint  will  be  over  a mile 
in  front  of  us,  near  the  base  of  the  Three 


31 


Brothers,  but  farther  to  the  right  than  we 
can  now  see. 

To  reach  that  place  we  shall  have  to  go, 
according  to  the  map,  a mile  and  a half 
eastward  and  then  turn  back  west  across 
the  Merced  River  at  the  Ford,  or  Folsom 
Bridge.  We  shall  be,  as  the  red  figure  6 
in  a circle  shows,  in  a little  island-like 
space  surrounded  by  roads  and  shall  look 
out  between  the  two  red  lines,  one  of 
which  extends  toward  Sentinel  Rock  to 
the  east,  and  the  other  toward  North 
Dome  due  northwest. 

6.  North  Dome,  Half  Dome  and  Cloud’s 
Rest,  (E.  N.  E.)  from  North  of  River 
Opposite  ‘‘  Three  Brothers,”  Yosem- 
ite  Valley. 

This  is  our  first  view  of  North  Dome, 
whose  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  above  sea  level  tower  over 
the  Royal  Arches,  three  miles  and  a half 
directly  in  front  of  us.  The  Arches  and 
the  North  Dome  are  one  and  the  same 
mountain,  but  show  the  two  methods  of 
lamination  of  the  granites  of  this  district. 
Look  carefully  at  that  part  of  the  strata 
below  the  shelf  coming  down  from  the  left- 
hand  top  of  the  dome,  on  which  trees  are 
growing  plentifully,  and  especially  at  that 
portion  of  the  rock’s  face  below  a clump  of 
thick  wood.  You  will  notice  that  the  lay- 


3^ 


ers  of  granite  are  tilted  into  distinct 
arches,  hollow  under  their  crowns,  as  if 
each  end  of  the  layer  had  been  subject  to 
immense  pressure  at  the  ends  and  been 
squeezed  upward  in  the  centre,  as,  in  fact, 
they  have  been.  Take  a strip  of  stiff  card- 
board, laying  it  flat  out  on  a table,  and 
then  press  each  end  toward  the  centre 
slowly,  and  you  will  get  the  same  effect. 
They  are  very  striking  features.  Why 
they  should  ever  have  gotten  their  com- 
monplace name  of  Royal  Arches  when 
the  Indians  had  given  them  the  one  which 
so  exactly  fitted,  ''  The  Shade  to  a Baby 
Basket,’’  is  a puzzle  and  a pity.  For  that 
is  what  these  arches  and  their  shadows 
literally  represent.  Cloud’s  Rest,  ten 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  we  see  again 
eight  miles  from  us  here.  In  the  distance, 
to  the  right.  Half  Dome  rears  his  crown- 
ing crest,  while  the  nearer  dark  slope  on 
the  right  leads  up,  if  we  could  look  in  that 
direction  far  enough,  to  Glacier  Point  and 
Glacier  Dome. 

From  the  map  we  know  that  the  Te- 
naiya  Creek  must  come  down  the  valley 
lying  between  North  Dome  and  Cloud’s 
Rest.  Standing  here  and  looking  at  this 
glass-like  rippleless  water,  it  is  hard  to  be- 
lieve that  on  one  side  of  the  Half  Dome, 
the  one  in  front  of  us,  this  river  receives 
the  Tenaiya  Creek,  roaring  down  its  thou- 


33 


sand  cascades,  that  from  the  other  side  of 
the  same  mountain  the  Merced’s  own 
water  comes  pell-mell  over  two  falls,  the 
Vernal  and  the  Nevada,  aggregating  a 
thousand  feet,  and  at  the  other  side  of 
this,  nearer  Sentinel,  it  receives  the  im- 
pulse of  the  falls  of  the  South  Fork,  as 
they  rush  from  their  mountain  home  up  in 
Starr  King.  It  looks  here,  at  our  feet, 
framed  by  the  willow  and  the  spirea,  and 
margined  by  the  Balm  of  Gilead,  as  if  no 
ripple  had  ever  disturbed  it — a land  of  par- 
adoxes, and  sudden  and  striking  sights, 
and  hidden  surprises  is  this  valley.  Some 
of  these  falls  we  shall  see  when  we  get 
around  the  front  of  that  little  foot  spur  of 
the  Sentinel  on  our  right  and  up  to  Gla- 
cier Point,  a northeastern  crest. 

The  Sentinel  Hotel,  with  all  its  auxilia- 
ries of  a tourist's  resort,  is  hidden  out  of 
sight  among  those  trees  near  the  foot  of 
that  Sentinel  slope,  which  comes  down  on 
our  right. 

We  are  going  to  advance  now  to  a point 
near  the  foot  of  that  slope  and  turn  around 
and  look  back  down  the  valley.  Almost 
directly  behind  us,  as  we  stand  here,  are 
the  Cathedral  Rocks,  near  the  Bridal  Veil 
Falls.  We  can  see  those  rocks  in  a mo- 
ment for  ourselves.  Looking  on  the  map, 
weseeweare  to  recross  the  Folsom  Bridge 


34 


from  our  standpoint  marked  6 and  go  east 
along  the  road  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Merced  for  over  a mile  and  nearly  to  the 
Sentinel  Hotel.  There  we  find  the  number 
7 in  a circle.  The  two  red  lines  connected 
with  this  number  show  us  the  boundaries 
of  our  next  field  of  vision  toward  Cathe- 
dral Rocks. 

7.  Mirror  View  of  the  Majestic  Cathedral 
Rocks — looking  (W.  S.  W.)  down  the 
Valley,  Yosemite 

We  have  our  back  now  to  the  Sentinel  ^ 
Hotel  and  the  foot  of  the  Sentinel  Slope, 
and  are  looking  southwest  and  down  the 
valley.  Over  three  miles  away,  we  get  a 
view  of  the  back  of  the  rocks  over  the 
western  front  of  which  we  saw  the  leap  of 
the  Bridal  Veil  Falls  (Stereograph  No.  i). 
How  different  is  the  scene  now  brought 
into  view!  That  was  water  in  action; 
here  is  water  in  repose  1 And  such  repose 
and  such  transparent  water  is  surely  not 
to  be  found  elsewhere.  There  is  much 
available  testimony  of  hunters  and  others 
that  the  water  of  the  Sierras  has  a reflec- 
tive capacity  and  clearness  all  its  own, 
and  here  is  verification  of  it.  When  one 
reads  of  a hunter  who  has  been  so  de- 
ceived by  the  clarity  of  the  Sierra  water, 
that  he  has  stepped  into  it  without  recog-  ! 
nizing  that  there  was  any  there  present,  j 

I 

I 


35 


one  is  incredulous ; but  credulity  takes  the 
place  of  doubt  when  it  is  at  our  very  feet. 
Nay  more,  one  is  tempted  to  say,  ''  Which 
IS  the  mountain  in  this  topsy-turvy  scene 
and  which  is  the  reflection  ? ” ‘‘  Are  things 
as  they  seem,  or  are  visions  about  ? ” to 
quote  a Bret  Harte  remark.  The  reflec- 
tions are  indeed  brighter  and  clearer  than 
the  actualities.  The  time  is  morning  when 
the  eastering  sun  shines  full  on  the  Ca- 
thedral Rocks,  huge  piles  of  granite  in 
fantastic  forms  whose  feet  are  on  the  level 
valley  and  whose  massive  spires  cleave  the 
heavens,  crowned  with  fringes  and  clusters 
of  pine  and  cedar,  two  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  above.  They  look 
mere  lace-like  fringes,  but  each  is  a goodly 
tree  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  Were 
we  a little  more  to  the  south,  we  could 
separate  from  the  cliffs,  two  isolated  col- 
umns of  such  exquisite  workmanship  and 
symmetry,  and  of  such  exact  height  and 
squareness,  as  to  be  universally  known  as 
the  Spires.  They  have  been  compared 
with  the  western  towers  of  numerous 
actual  cathedrals  from  Notre  Dame,  Paris, 
to  Westminster  Abbey.  As  the  light  falls 
at  this  moment  they  can  hardly  be  differ- 
entiated, but  that  is  a passing  circum- 
stance. To  bring  them  out  more  clearly, 
it  would  be  necessary  to  sacrifice  the 
pellucidness  of  the  water,  and  to  secure 


36 


that  was  worth  the  temporary  absence  of 
the  spires. 

Our  next  standpoint  is  one  to  which  all 
visitors  to  the  Park  gladly  turn,  and  as  we 
have  to  turn  in  this  case  little  more  than 
on  our  heel,  it  is  easy  to  do  so.  Looking 
on  the  map,  you  will  find  the  red  figure  8 
just  back  of  our  present  position,  and  near 
it  two  red  lines  which  extend  slightly  west 
of  north,  and  include  within  them  the  hotel 
and  a widening  background. 

8.  Amid  Yosemite’s  Charms — Sentinel 
Hotel,  looking  North  across  Valley 
to  Yosemite  Falls 

In  the  main,  things  tell  their  own  story 
here,  good  roads,  good  horses,  the  arrival 
of  the  latest  and  expected  tourists,  sensi- 
bly clad  as  we  can  see,  and  welcomed  with 
that  hospitality  which  one  cynic  has  said, 
is  never  equaled  elsewhere.  The  lioteks 
outward  appearance  and  trim  neatness,  its 
severe  lines  and  kempt  appearance  con- 
trast vividly,  not  to  say  startlingly,  with  the 
rugged  dishabille  of  nature  in  her  sternest 
garb,  by  which  it  is  overtopped  and  sur- 
rounded. It  is  a useful  place  as  well  as  a 
useful  comparison. 

Shall  I not  take  mine  ease  in  mine 
inn?v’  is  a justifiable  question,  suggestive 
of  good  things  to  be  enjoyed.  Especially, 


37 


when  the  weather  tokens  are  unpropitious, 
or  the  feet  are  tender,  both  events  likely 
enough  to  make  an  inn  a mighty  pleasant 
refuge. 

Behind  the  inn  is  the  Merced  River,  and 
towering  above  that  is  the  northern  cliff 
of  the  Valley  on  which  we  catch  our  sec- 
ond glimpse  of  the  Yosemite  Falls.  We 
must  go  and  see  them  nearer. 

Spreading  our  map  out,  we  find  that  we 
shall  not  need  the  help  of  the  four  horses 
on  this  trip,  because  our  next  coign  of 
vantage,  red  figure  9 in  a circle,  is  only 
just  at  the  fork  of  the  roads  across  the 
river,  next  westward  below  the  inn,  little 
over  half  a mile  away.  From  there  our 
familiar  two  straight  lines  branch  out,  one 
due  north  up  the  cliff  face,  and  the  other 
bearing  slightly  northeast  by  north. 

9.  Majestic  Yosemite  Point,  and  wind- 
sprayed  Yosemite  Falls  (1,600  foot 
leap),  looking  N.  N.  E.,  Yosemite 
Valley 

The  first  and  natural  question  which 
comes  to  the  tongue  in  looking  up  the  stu- 
pendous height  at  the  mighty  flood  speed- 
ing downward  sixteen  hundred  feet,  as 
from  the  sky  (half  a million  cubic  feet  an 
hour,  as  the  statisticians  tell  us),  is, 

Where  does  it  all  come  from  ? ’’  There 


38 


is  no  visible  source,  so  far  as  we  have  seen. 
The  answer  is  one  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  Sierras.  It  creeps  drop  by  drop,  and 
rill  by  rill,  from  underneath  the  snow 
banks  of  the  distant  Mount  Hoffman. 
This  snow  coverlet  does  not  dissolve  with 
the  Chinook  wind,  as  do  the  snows  further 
north,  and  disappear  in  a spring  freshet, 
sweeping  disastrously  down;  but,  gradu- 
ally, day  by  day,  each  day’s  sun  distilling 
its  quota,  and  each  night  freezing  up  the 
source,  preserving  by  this  peculiar  dispen- 
sation of  nature  the  hoarded  supply  which 
seldom  fails.  When  the  water  leaves  the 
snow  flanks,  it  travels  over  bare  granite 
without  a particle  of  sediment,  and  that  is 
why  it  is  so  sparklingly  translucent.  The 
lip  over  which  it  makes  its  first  clear  shoot 
is  so  polished  that  not  a ripple  is  formed. 
Though  it  is  possible  to  reach  the  edge  of 
the  fall  above,  I would  warn  the  venture- 
some, be  he  never  so  sure-footed,  to  give 
that  slope  a wide  berth.  It.  is  a foothold 
as  treacherous  as  glass.  And  herein  is 
another  characteristic  peculiar  to  the  Si- 
erras, and  especially  the  Yosemite  gorges, 
and  that  is  the  extent  and  perfection  of  its 
polished  surfaces;  pure  granite,  or  basalt, 
as  smooth  as  looking-glass,  and  nearly  as 
reflective  as  burnished  silver.  They  are 
the  results  of  the  glacial  action  of  the  long 
ago,  and  the  lip  of  the  Yosemite  Falls 


39 


is  one  of  them.  The  great  Tuolumne 
glacier,  which  in  primeval  aeons  came 
down  from  the  high  Sierras,  broke  into 
two  against  the  mighty  bulk  of  Mt. 
Hoffman,  and  one  of  the  tributaries 
which  skirted  that  mountain  came  down 
the  valley  along  which  the  Yosemite 
River  now  runs.  It  was  its  millions 
upon  millions  of  tons  of  slowly  moving  ice 
that  through  the  ages  polished  the  lip, 
over  which  its  successor,  the  stream,  now 
delivers  the  remnant  of  its  former  might. 

The  first  fall  of  the  flood  is  a clear  de- 
scent of  sixteen  hundred  feet,  during 
which  it  is  caught  in  the  air  currents  of  the 
valley  and  swayed  and  wafted  into  a spray 
so  fine  and  feathery  as  to  have  the  appear- 
ance almost  of  dense  steam;  and  swirled 
and  tossed  and  played  with  as  if  the  vital 
force  delighted  in  fanning  it  for  the  fairy 
beauty  it  created  amid  scenery  of  such 
rigid  massiveness.  When  the  disintegrat- 
ed waters  reach  fifteen  hundred  feet  from 
the  lip  they  strike  a projecting  ledge  and 
scatter  in  a thousand  cascades  down  a 
rugged  descent  of  piled  up  debris  and  jag- 
ged rock  fragments,  equal  in  perpendic- 
ular height,  on  the  whole,  to  a further  six 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet.  Finally,  they 
all  unite.  The  mist  is  again  precipitated; 
the  struggling  streams  are  bitted  and 
curbed,  and  at  the  Lower  Falls,  as  you  see. 


40 


they  are  ready  for  a final  plunge  in  one 
single  sheet  down  the  grim  and  clean-cut 
gorge,  four  hundred  feet  more,  where  they 
strike  the  true  talus  and  find  their  final 
rest  in  the  Merced  River,  winding  west- 
ward through  the  valley.  Beautiful  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  expression  as  are 
the  falls  by  daylight,  still  they  should,  as 
Scott  said  of  Dryburgh,  be  seen  by  moon- 
light for  their  weirdest  and  most  fascinat- 
ing effects.  It  is  an  experience  worth  hav- 
ing to  climb  from  the  foot  of  the  lower 
falls  to  where  the  upper  one  lands,  or  rath- 
er, up  and  down  to  that  spot;  for,  as  you 
can  see,  the  torrent  has  cut  itself  a gorge 
through  a rib  that  is  higher  than  the  foot 
of  the  first  landing  stage.  It  is  rough 
work,  and  needs  some  practice,  for  often 
the  face  of  the  rock  is  almost  perpendicu- 
lar. One  is  put  to  it  to  take  advantage  of 
every  friendly  crack  or  tree;  but  it  is 
worth  the  labor,  and  when  you  stand  at  the 
foot  of  the  falls  you  will  find  that  the  fall- 
ing mass  has  literally  washed  itself  a basin 
out  of  the  solid  granite. 

We  have  been  on  the  valley  floor,  except 
for  the  short  climb  up  to  the  Yosemite 
Fall,  for  quite  a while  now.  For  our  next 
viewpoint  we  must  mount  to  the  very  top 
of  Eagle  Peak.  This  is  one  of  the  peaks 
of  the  Three  Brothers,  you  remember,  and 


41 


it  stands  about  a mile  away,  directly  to  our 
left.  On  the  map  we  find  it  almost  due 
west,  above  the  Sentinel  Hotel.  It  is  a 
long  pull  up  to  seven  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty-one  feet  above  sea  level,  but 
when  we  get  there  we  shall  have  a magnifi- 
cent prospect  before  us.  Note  the  red 
boundary  lines.  One  of  them  extends  due 
east  and  ends  on  the  edge  of  the  map  be- 
yond Sugar  Loaf ; the  other  strikes  south- 
east to  the  map  margin  behind  Mt.  Starr 
King. 

10.  The  Valley,  Half  Dome,  Nevada  Falls, 
Cap  of  Liberty  and  Imposing  Sierras, 
(E.  S.  E.)  from  Eagle  Peak,  Yosem- 
ite 

At  last  we  stand  on  the  summit  of  Eagle 
Peak,  one  of  the  Three  Brothers,  which, 
you  remember,  John  Muir  saw  "'tremble 
like  a jelly.”  It  is  hard  to  realize,  standing 
on  its  apparently  adamantine  rocky  top, 
seven  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  the  sea,  that  there  has  within 
a present  lifetime  been  a quiver  in  its 
rigid  frame. 

The  scene  before  us  is  so  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  those  we  have  had  in  the  val- 
ley, that  it  comes  upon  us  with  a startling 
freshness.  Away,  away  down  prone  at 
our  feet,  as  if  one  could  kick  a stone  down 
into  it,  lies  a portion  of  the  main  valley, 


winding  on  our  left  round  the  spreading 
base  of  Half  Dome,  which  stretches  en- 
tirely across  the  middle  distance.  Far 
away,  too,  over  Half  Dome’s  western  ex- 
tremity we  catch  sight  of  a thin  silver 
band  which  we  recognize  at  once  as  the 
Nevada  Falls,  the  upper  of  the  two  falls 
(see  map)  which  bring  in  the  Merced  River 
out  of  the  mountains  at  that  extreme  end 
of  the  main  valley.  We  cannot  see  the 
lower  falls,  the  Vernal  Falls,  although 
they  are  four  hundred  feet  above  the  val- 
ley floor.  In  fact,  we  see  only  the  upper 
portion  of  the  Nevada  Falls.  The  vast 
solitudes  of  the  higher  Sierras,  The  Cas- 
cade Chain,  lie  beyond,  overtopping  the 
Cap  of  Liberty  itself  (seen  just  to  the  left 
of  the  falls),  two  thousand  feet  above  the 
waterfall,  as  if  it  were  a toy,  and  spread- 
ing, snow-capped  and  reft  and  peaked,  | 
away  and  away  still  higher,  and  higher, 
and  wilder,  and  whiter,  until  it  resem- 
bles some  mighty  aggregation  of  icebergs  . 
in  a snowy  sea,  tinged  with  glorious  | 
crimson,  and  serried  and  seamed,  and  de-  | 
fined  by  the  purple  shadow.  j 

I have  waited  until  the  last  to  call  your  i 
attention  to  the  steep  cliffs  on  our  immedi- 
ate right.  They  are  so  apparently  near, 
and  they  can  be  seen  in  such  detail,  that  it 
seems  as  if  they  were  but  just  across  the 


43 


street.  That  is  the  northern  and  north- 
eastern part  of  the  ridge  leading  up  to 
Sentinel  Dome  and  Glacier  Point,  over 
two  miles  across  the  valley.  Notice  that 
zigzag  trail  almost  on  the  cliff’s  edge. 
We  shall  soon  be  on  that  very  trail  and 
look  directly  north  to  the  Yosemite  Falls, 
which  is  now  to  our  left  and  behind  us. 
That  trail  leads  also  to  the  famous  Glacier 
Point,  where  we  shall  stand  for  some  time, 
and  look  in  several  directions.  Glacier 
Point  is  only  a short  distance  beyond  the 
farthest  ledges  that  we  see  on  those  cliffs. 

The  objects  set  close  to  us,  the  rocks 
and  man  and  pine  bough,  are  as  cunning 
a device  to  throw  the  whole  scene  into  in- 
tense contrast  and  heighten  the  perspec- 
tive, as  was  ever  devised  by  any  of  those 
masters  of  the  art  of  heightening  effects, 
the  dramatic  scenic  artists.  The  forces 
that  wrought  out  this  setting  of  nature  are 
too  stupendous,  however,  to  have  been 
troubled  with  effects. 

Descending  now  from  our  eyrie  on  this 
Eagle  Peak,  we  must  be  off  for  our  next 
climb;  this  time  on  horseback.  It  will  be 
from  new  ground,  and  to  reach  it  we  shall 
have  to  cross  the  main  valley  and  traverse 
the  lower  part  of  that  trail  we  see  across 
on  our  right.  We  shall  then  look  toward 
the  north,  to  Yosemite  Falls,  as  we  have 


44 


said.  Looking  on  the  map,  we  find  the 
figure  II  in  a circle,  near  Sentinel  Rock, 
and  the  two  red  lines  of  limitation;  the 
right-hand  one  goes  clear  out,  all  but  due 
north  to  the  top  margin  of  the  map,  and 
the  other,  the  left-hand  one,  passes  over 
and  stops  beyond  Eagle  Tower,  having  a 
slight  westering  tendency. 

The  ride  up  to  that  point  of  view  is 
made,  as  I have  said,  on  horseback,  but 
no  one  need  fear  to  ride,  although  non(' 
should  deviate  from  the  guide’s  direc- 
tions, and  all,  including  the  ladies,  must 
ride  man-fashion.  The  ponies  and  the 
burros  are  alike  sure-footed  and  of  great 
knowledge  in  their  life’s  business.  The 
ascent  is  made  in  Indian  file,  up,  up,  up 
the  trail  along  the  precipitous  side  of  the 
mountain.  Familiar  objects  on  the  valley 
floor  apparently  shift  from  side  to  side  of 
the  valley,  as  we  wind  first  north  and  then 
south ; now  through  groves  of  spruce  and 
silvery  yellow  pines ; anon  flanked  on  either 
side  with  perfect  gardens  of  flowers  and 
berry-bearing  shrubs,  beloved  of  bears, 
and  once  in  a while  by  trickling  streams, 
whose  bordering  ferns  would  compare 
with  those  of  the  tropical  mountain  passes 
of  Jamaica,  while  the  water-ouzel  flits  on 
startled  wing,  and  the  squirrels,  both 
Douglas  and  California  gray,  chatter 
their  protests  from  safe  distances. 


45 


Such  is  the  ride  up  the  Glacier  Point 
Trail. 

Before  the  top  of  the  trail  is  reached  we 
come,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  to  a halt, 
not  prearranged  but  spontaneous. 

II.  Yosemite  Falls,  from  Glacier  Point 
Trail,  Yosemite  Valley 

It  looks  a fearsome  place  to  halt ! but  it 
is  beauty,  and  not  fear,  that  cries  it.  Scarce 
four  feet  wide  is  the  trail,  solid  granite, 
piled  high  on  our  right  in  fragments  from 
the  mountain  side,  and  sloping  immediate- 
ly below  us,  as  if  ready  to  fall  lower  at  any 
moment.  The  sunlight  throws  the  shad- 
ows of  our  horses  as  black  as  those 
thrown  on  the  desert  floor  by  the  fierce 
Arabian  sun,  and  burnishes  the  opposite 
Yosemite  cliffs  with  a light  that  positively 
glitters  on  their  crystalline  fronts.  Be- 
neath us,  like  a lawn,  and  looking  as 
smooth  and  flat  as  an  artificial  garden, 
lies  the  mirror  of  the  Merced  River,  and 
directly  opposite  to  us  (some  mile  and  a 
half  away)  stands  in  one  gash,  from  top- 
most lip  to  final  foot,  the  Yosemite  Falls. 
No  wonder  the  impulse  to  stop  at  this 
point  was  mutual,  for  here,  for  the  first 
time,  the  falls,  as  a whole,  can  be  seen  at 
one  glance.  It  is  a wonderful  combina- 
tion. ''  Surely,  that  pool  into  which  the 


46 


first  fall  plunges  is  boiling ! ” one  is  tempt- 
ed to  say,  and  the  steam  rising  and  hover- 
ing and  never  departing  would  justify  the 
observation. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  valley  once 
more  to  take  a look  at  Glacier  Point,  up 
the  very  face  of  it,  before  we  mount  to  the 
top  for  a series  of  five  outlooks  from  prac- 
tically that  one  spot.  The  place  from 
which  to  look  up  the  face  of  the  Glacier 
Point  to  the  best  advantage  is  found 
marked  on  the  map  with  a red  12  in  a cir- 
cle, on  the  floor  of  the  main  valley,  at  the 
junction  of  the  two  roads  which  meet  on 
the  flat  three-quarters  of  a mile  or  so  west 
of  Lamon’s  Orchard.  We  shall  have  to 
stand  with  our  heads  thrown  back,  and 
our  faces  due  south. 

12.  Looking  Straight  up  the  Sheer  Face  of 
Glacier  Point  Three  Thousand  Feet 
to  the  Overhanging  Rocks,  Yosem- 
ite  Valley 

To  look  at  this  place  properly,  we  must, 
as  we  have  said,  throw  our  heads  back  until 
we  are  looking  almost  perpendicularly  up- 
ward. Then  you  will  see  that  as  the  water 
trickles  over  the  edge  of  the  rock  it  turns 
inward  by  molecular  attraction,  and  clings 
to  the  bare  face  of  the  granite,  as  though 
trembling  in  every  atom  and  shivering  in 


47 


every  inch  of  its  downward  flight.  But  we 
came  here  to  look  up  to  Glacier  Point. 
Well,  glancing  straight  up  between  the 
end  of  the  leafy  tree  branch  above  us  on 
the  left,  and  the  water-covered  rock  on 
our  right,  notice  those  two  rocks,  like  the 
two  horns  or  ears  of  some  giant  animal, 
projecting  out  from  the  cliff  far  away. 
That  is  Glacier  Point,  full  three  thousand 
feet  above  us.  It  is  to  that  place  we  are 
going  next.  Standing  on  the  very  edge, 
between  those  overhanging  rocks,  we  shall 
look  directly  down  to  the  place  where  we 
are  now  standing,  and  then  toward  the 
northwest,  that  is,  to  the  Yosemite  Falls 
behind  us  here,  and  afterward  toward  the 
northeast,  or  Cloud’s  Rest,  which  is  away 
on  our  left.  When  looking  toward  Yo- 
semite Falls,  we  shall  see  that  right-hand 
rock  at  Glacier  Point  on  our  left,  and 
when  looking  to  Cloud’s  Rest,  we  shall  see 
the  left-hand  rock  on  our  right.  It  is  a 
curious  sensation  one  gets  in  looking  up 
so  stupendous  a height,  but  we  shall  not 
observe  the  full  force  of  it  until  we  have 
looked  at  this  same  mountain  face  from 
the  top,  whitherward  we  will  now  go. 

Glacier  Point  is  usually  approached  by 
the  trail  which  you  will  find  beginning 
about  the  centre  of  the  map  at  the  bottom, 
and  known  as  the  Glacier  Point  Road. 


48 


From  all  other  points  it  is  more  difficult, 
or  practically  inaccessible.  By  that  route, 
you  pass  over  the  Ostrander  Rocks,  and 
wind  in  and  out  among  the  chines  and  val- 
leys that  rive  the  foothills  of  the  Sentinel 
Dome,  through  thickets  of  hemlocks,  ev- 
ergreens and  azaleas,  until  you  step  out 
upon  a bare  porphyry  pavement,  ice-burn- 
ished by  the  mighty  Tuolumne  Glacier, 
which  plowed  the  lip  of  the  Yosemite 
Falls,  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley,  as 
we  have  seen.  If  we  want  further  justifi- 
cation for  its  name.  Glacier  Point,  we  shall 
notice,  carefully  perched  upon  its  very 
top  and  edge,  ready,  apparently,  to  have 
been  the  next  to  slide  down  when  the  gla- 
cial forces  receded,  those  two  erratic 
bowlders,  already  pointed  out,  which  must 
have  come  from  a mountain  range  at  least 
twelve  miles  to  the  east.  We  know,  be- 
cause we  recognize  their  paternity  and 
there  is  no  other  source  nearer.  Hence, 
John  Muir  was  perfectly  justified  in  giv- 
ing it  the  name  of  Glacier  Monument, 
since  popularly  changed  to  Glacier  Point, 
because  the  popular  imagination  recog- 
nizes it  more  as  a point  than  a monument. 
To  the  multitude,  it  is  the  point  par  excel- 
lence for  a general  view  of  the  valley,  and 
certainly  it  is  a striking  point. 

On  the  map,  we  find  Glacier  Point  to  be 
the  centre  from  which  apparently  half  the 


49 


red  guiding  lines  diverge,  and  it  is  the 
point  from  which,  with  only  a movement 
of  the  head,  we  shall  look  in  five  different 
directions  (Stereographs  Nos.  13,  14,  15, 
16,  17).  We  are  to  look  straight  down  the 
cliff  now  from  Glacier  Point,  over  the  ter- 
ritory between  the  two  lines  which  extend 
nearly  to  the  Merced  River,  each  having 
the  number  13  at  its  end. 

13.  Looking  Straight  Down  from  Over- 
hanging Rocks,  Glacier  Point  (3,257 
feet)  into  the  Valley  below,  Yosemite 

For  the  purpose  of  getting  the  full  pur- 
port and  significance  of  this  scene,  reverse 
the  method  adopted  before  (Stereograph 
No.  12),  and  bend  your  head  forward  until 
your  eyes  are  looking  directly  downward, 
with  your  head  over  the  cliff.  Do  you  see 
that  stone  immediately  below  us,  and  only 
a few  feet  off,  the  one  to  the  left  of  the 
gossamer-like  plant  growing  out  of  its 
chink?  It  is  the  keystone,  and  it  is  lean- 
ing so  far  forward  that  it  must  surely  top- 
ple out ! If  it  does  will  it  not  unloose  the 
whole  foothold,  and  where  shall  we  go 
then  ? It  veritably  makes  one’s  head  swim 
to  gaze  down,  down  those  awful  cliffs, 
so  high  that  although  the  Merced  River 
lies  half  a mile  off  it  cannot  be  seen,  and 
only  the  hither  side  of  the  valley,  as  it 
slopes  up  to  its  northern  walls  with  its  ter- 


raced  roads.  You  can  trace  those  very 
roads  seen  here  so  calm  and  serene  in  the 
sunshine,  on  the  map.  Look  again  at  the 
trees  under  us  on  the  side  of  the  valley  we 
are  above.  See,  they  are  but  round  spots. 
We  are  so  directly  above  them  that  the 
tall  pines,  one  hundred  feet  high,  have 
diameter  only,  and  no  height.  It  is  only 
as  they  begin  to  dot  the  other  rise  of  the 
valley  that  we  see  any  portion  of  their 
sides ; then  they  begin  to  have  length  as 
well  as  width,  and  as  they  climb  higher 
and  higher  up  they  lengthen  until  we  see 
the  whole  tree  in  its  normal  aspect. 

What  a relief  to  lift  the  head,  stand 
again  erect  and  feel  the  solid  earth  be- 
neath one’s  feet ! We  can  now  stand  up- 
right on  the  Point  and  take  our  first  nor- 
mal view  from  it,  within  the  lines  marked 
14,  one  of  which  extends  true  northwest 
to  the  upper  left-hand  margin  of  the  map, 
and  the  other  to  a point  five  inches  from  it 
on  the  same  border. 

14.  Nearly  a Mile  Straight  Down  and 
Only  a Step — Yosemite  from  Glacier 
Point 

There,  close  on  our  left,  is  the  over- 
hanging rock  which  we  saw  on  our  right 
when  looking  up  to  this  place  from  the 
valley  (Stereograph  No.  12).  Two  or  three 


51 


stones  piled  one  over  the  other,  each  ex- 
tending a little  further  than  the  other,  and 
but  a step  more  would  land  the  spectator 
into  space,  to  the  valley  nearly  a mile  be- 
low. There  are  other  such  formations  in 
petty,  and  plenty,  but  they  are  mere  minia- 
tures to  this.  Even  the  nearest  are  far 
below  this  in  tragic  significance.  I re- 
member one  in  the  Nan-co-weap  Valley, 
in  southeastern  Arizona,  where  three  lay- 
ers of  carboniferous  limestone  jut  out  like 
these  rocks  before  us,  one  further  than  the 
other,  and  a sightseer  stands  out  on  the 
farthest  one,  as  venturesome  people  do 
here,  but  in  the  Arizona  case  the  friable 
sandstone  detritus  buttresses  the  rock  up 
to  a point  so  near  the  overhanging  rocks 
that  the  sense  of  danger  is  diminished. 
Here,  a false  step,  and  there  is  nothing  but 
a mile  of  space  below.  This  is  our  parting 
view  of  the  Yosemite  Falls,  which  differs 
from  all  the  other  points  from  which  we 
have  seen  it  inasmuch  as  we  are  now  on 
a level  with  it.  We  can,  therefore,  for  the 
first  time,  see  that  it  does  not,  as  it  appears 
from  below,  fall  out  of  the  clouds,  but  has 
a gathering  ground  which,  though  not  so 
rugged  as  that  which  gathers  the  Merced 
River  to  the  eastward,  is  bare  and  bold, 
and  if  the  distance  were  not  so  great,  we 
would  find  that  Mt.  Hoffman  was  a peer 
of  his  eastern  neighbors.  We  might  even 


52 


see  him  as  John  Muir  once  did,  and  he  is 
not  given  to  exaggeration,  with  ''  his  top 
dazzling  with  crystals  of  quartz,  mica, 
hornblende,  feldspar  and  garnets,  weath- 
ered out  and  strewn  loosely  as  if  sown 
broadcast,”  a sight,  one  of  many,  with 
which  only  the  faithful  explorer  of  years 
is  rewarded. 

As  we  stand  here  looking  northwest,  the 
other  of  the  two  projecting  rocks  which 
we  saw  at  this  place  is  a few  rods  to  our 
right.  Sharply  off  to  our  right,  too,  sev- 
eral miles  away,  are  Half  Dome  and 
Cloud’s  Rest.  We  shall  turn  in  that  di- 
rection now. 

Notice  the  red  line  on  the  map,  which 
is  drawn  from  Glacier  Point  to  the  ex- 
treme right-hand  corner  at  the  top,  and  a 
similar  line  drawn  due  west  and  extending 
through  Grizzly  Peak,  and  by  the  side  of 
the  Cap  of  Liberty,  up  the  Merced’s 
upper  valley  to  the  margin  of  the  map  on 
the  extreme  right,  each  having  the  num- 
ber 15  at  its  end. 

15.  Overlooking  Nature^s  Grandest  Scen- 
ery, Yosemite  Valley 

Here  we  have  the  second  projecting 
rock  close  on  our  right.  It  was  on  our  left 
when  we  were  looking  straight  up  to  this 


53 


place  (Stereograph  No.  12).  As  a few 
minutes  ago  it  seemed  but  a step  across  to 
the  Yosemite  Falls,  so  here  it  looks  as  if 
one  could  with  a good  jump,  land  plump 
on  the  bald  pate  of  the  Half  Dome,  though 
that  is  more  than  two  miles  and  a half  off, 
as  the  crow  flies,  and,  moreover,  it  is  real- 
ly seventeen  hundred  feet  higher  than  we 
are,  although,  at  first,  under  the  operation 
of  the  laws  of  perspective  it  looks  to  be 
below  us.  It  grows  upon  us  as  we  look  at 
it.  It  is  a mighty  dome  of  granite  which 
will  never  be  trodden  except  by  a few  dar- 
ing climbers.  It  is  not  to  be  understood 
that  it  would  be  beyond  the  engineering 
possibilities  in  these  days  to  make  it  ac- 
cessible, when  electrical  force  without  lim- 
it could  be  manufactured  at  one  of  half  a 
dozen  waterfalls  within  a mile,  but  without 
some  such  engineering  auxiliary,  the  Half 
Dome  will  remain  to  the  end  of  time,  one 
of  the  last  virgin  peaks  of  the  world. 
As  a dome,  it  is  one  of  several  peculiar 
to  the  Sierras,  and  a person  can  feel  with- 
out being  on  its  top  that  it  was  filed  and 
worn  down  to  that  shape  by  the  grind  of 
an  ice  cap,  whose  relentless  flow  wore  off 
a full  mile  of  these  lower  Sierras.  But 
what  paroxysm  of  nature,  what  cataclism, 
what  overwhelming  force,  could  have 
riven  it  completely  in  half,  as  easily  and 


54 


as  clear  and  clean  as  a swordsman  would 
cleave  a cheese,  is  one  of  the  problems  of 
nature  which  will  never  be  solved  by  the 
wit  of  man.  He  has  solved  many,  even  in 
this  valley,  but  Half  Dome  is  the  Sphynx 
of  the  new  world.  Rigid,  impassive,  in- 
comprehensible, it  presents  its  face  to  the 
rising  sun  eight  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  twenty-three  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
the  last  rays  for  century  on  century  have 
gilt  it.  Man  may  survey  it  at  a distance, 
even  may  approach  its  face  almost  within 
touch  on  the  side  fronting  the  Tenaiya 
Valley,  where  for  two  thousand  feet  it  is 
absolutely  vertical,  but  he  can  never  wrest 
its  secret.  It  is  almost  a coincidence  that 
the  Indians  called  this  mountain  The 
Goddess  of  the  Valley.’’  Beyond  it,  to  the 
left,  towering  a thousand  feet  higher,  is 
Cloud’s  Rest,  and  to  the  right,  range  upon 
range  rise  to  the  sky  line  of  Mt.  Clark. 

Now,  from  practically  this  same  place, 
we  shall  turn  and  look  more  to  the  left, 
or  north.  See  the  lines  marked  i6  on  the 
map,  one  of  which,  the  left-hand  one,  goes 
out  of  the  map  at  a point  about  two  inches 
from  the  upper  right-hand  corner,  and  the 
lower  one,  after  cutting  south  of  Half 
Dome  extends  to  the  map  limits. 


55 


i6.  From  Glacier  Point  (N.  E.)  up  Tenai- 
ya  Canon,  over  Mirror  Lake,  Half 
Dome  and  Cloud’s  Rest,  Yosemite 
Valley 

This  opens  up  a view  straight  up  the 
valley  of  the  Tenaiya.  Waterfalls  in  this 
valley  are  ‘‘  conspicuous  by  their  absence/' 
The  Merced  Valley  has  two  falls,  the  Illi- 
ouette  has  one,  none  of  which  we  have  yet 
seen,  while  every  highland  creek  around 
pours  its  affluent  over  falls.  The  Tenaiya 
is  a mountain  tarn  coming  down  from  the 
height  of  land  away  to  the  east  two  thou- 
sand feet  by  a series  of  cascades,  but  even 
these  cease  to  be  more  than  ordinary  be- 
fore it  reaches  the  metes  and  bounds  of  the 
park.  This  is  explicable  easily.  Turn  to 
the  map,  and  you  will  find  that  at  the  foot 
of  North  Dome,  the  main  river,  the  Mer- 
ced (which  has  come  winding  up  the  main 
valley),  takes  a sharp  turn  to  the  south 
and  throws  out  northeastward  a branch 
which  is  known  as  the  Tenaiya  Creek.  It 
is  a small  creek  in  a very  large,  or  rather 
very  deep  valley,  for  at  its  very  throat 
stand  two  ranges  of  cliffs  rising,  within  a 
mile  on  each  side,  to  eight  thousand  feet. 
North  and  Basket  Domes,  seven  thousand 
five  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet,  and  Half 
Dome  eight  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-three  feet;  while  its  immediately 
higher  waters,  to  the  northeast,  lave  the 


feet  of  Mt.  Watkins  eight  fhottsatid  two 
hundred  feet  on  the  one  side,  and  Cloud’s 
Rest  nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
twelve  feet  on  the  other.  Now,  down  this 
gorge,  in  the  dawn  of  the  geological  his- 
tory of  the  park,  underneath  the  ice  cap, 
flowed  the  glacial  waters,  and  plowed 
the  glacial  plow,  a portidn  of  the  great 
Tuolumne,  which,  sweeping  round  the 
crest  of  Mt.  Hoffman,  came  westward  on 
its  wearing  course.  It  made  a run  down 
to  the  Yosemite  Valley,  and  swept  the 
floor  of  the  Tenaiya  Valley  clean.  What- 
ever obstruction  pre-existed  disappeared 
under  its  ravening  claws,  and  as  the  snoWs 
receded,  and  receded,  the  valley  took  on 
its  present  form,  differing  from  each  of 
the  other  branches  into  which  the  Merced 
splits,  above  the  Tenaiya  Creek.  With  this 
preliminary,  we  can  now  look  np  the  val- 
ley and  understand  its  story.  We  can 
scarcely  see  the  water,  for  the  shadows  are 
dense  in  this  ravine,  even  Mirror  Lake, 
whose  nearer  acquaintance  we  shaM  want 
to  make,  lies  black  in  the  bowl  at  the  foot 
of  overwhelming  Half  Dome,  at  our  feet 
(see  map),  and  the  contrast  is  heightened 
by  the  wondrous  play  of  golden  light 
among  the  peaks  of  Cloud’s  Rest,  Which 
apparently  shuts  in  the  valley,  but  it  is  ap- 
pearance only.  Tenaiya  winds  by  and  far 
beyond  to  the  Sierras  we  cannot  see.  This 


57 


j is  not  a day  when  Cloud’s  Rest  earns  his 
I title,  for  the  air  is  absolutely  cloudless, 

I and  nothing  rests  on  its  rugged  tops  but 
nature’s  gilding,  and  the  rose  tints  of  ap- 
proaching sunset.  In  some  of  these  glades 
the  day  is  short  indeed,  even  in  summer. 
It  is  late  in  the  day  before  the  sun  can  find 
its  way  down  over  their  buttresses,  and  it 
is  early  afternoon  when  the  west  sun 
throws  dim  shadows  across  their  deep 
floors.  What  the  day  lacks  in  length  in 
the  valleys  it  makes  up  in  gorgeousness 
on  the  hilltops,  upon  the  higher  peaks  of 
which  its  earliest  and  latest  rays  precede 
and  succeed  the  normal  day. 

17.  Nevada  and  Vernal  Falls,  and  Cap  of 
Liberty — from  Glacier  Point  (E.  S. 
E.)  to  Mt.  Clark  (11,250  feet),  Yo- 
semite  Valley 

This  is  our  last  turn  on  the  pivot  at 
Glacier  Point  (see  lines  marked  17  on  the 
map),  and  we  are  facing  exactly  the  oppo- 
site direction  to  that  with  which  we  began 
(Stereograph  No.  14).  This  time  we  are 
. looking  southeast,  directly  along  the  val- 
ley of  the  Merced  River,  after  it  leaves  the 
Yosemite  Valley  proper  and  sets  up,  as  it 
were,  on  its  own  account.  Its  bed  was 
prepared  for  it  by  that  tributary  of  the 
great  glacier  system  which  came  from  Mt 
Lyall  and  McClure,  and  skirting  Mt. 


Clark,  came  down  into  the  present  Park 
between  the  Sugar  Loaf  on  the  north  and 
the  Cascade  chain  on  the  south.  It  found 
tougher  material  here  than  in  the  Tenaiya 
canon.  Its  first  immovable  barrier  was 
where  the  upper  of  the  two  falls  before  us 
is  seen,  the  Nevada  Falls,  and  its  second 
bar  was  at  that  fall  which  is  seen  clear  at 
about  half  the  height  of  the  fir  near  us. 
Those  are  the  Vernal  Falls.  Let  us  first 
take  the  top  falls,  the  Nevada,  which  you 
notice,  are  at  the  foot  of  the  Cap  of  Lib- 
erty, whose  vast  bulk  rises  two  thousand 
feet  above  them.  There  the  gathered 
waters  of  all  the  snow  rills  which  have 
trilled  into  the  Merced  on  its  long  journey 
from  the  east  (and  there  are  thousands  of 
them,  on  either  side),  falls  six  hundred  feet, 
or  slightly  less,  according  to  the  period  of 
the  summer,  not  quite  perpendicularly,  but 
nearly  so,  only  a ledge  near  the  summit 
twists  the  water,  and  sends  it  swirling  and 
twirling  down  to  the  rocks  below.  With 
the  added  impulse  of  this,  and  impedi^ 
ments  at  every  yard  in  the  narrow  and 
rock  laden  gorge,  it  falls  again  in  a single 
mass  over  a perfectly  square  cut  block  of 
granite  extending  entirely  across  the 
gorge  four  hundred  to  five  hundred  feet. 
Thence  onward  it  flows  through  countless 
more  rocks  piled  in  wild  confusion,  here  a 
lace-like  pattern  of  shimmering  silver, 


59 


there  an  emerald  pool.  Looking  up  to 
this  rightly  named  Vernal  ’’  scene  nearly 
every  afternoon  the  mists  contain  beau- 
tiful rainbows.  We  shall  have  to  go  up 
the  trail  from  the  valley  to  see  these 
falls  in  all  their  beauty,  but  sufficient  of 
the  primary  features  can  be  seen  from  this 
point  to  fire,  if  not  fill,  the  imagination. 
Taken  all  in  all  this  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
comprehensive  of  all  the  outlooks  we  shall 
get,  yet  it  begins  where  practically  the 
boundaries  of  the  Park  end.  All  above 
the  falls  is,  to  use  a colloquialism,  ''  out  of 
bounds.’’  One  can  rest  content  fortunate- 
ly, that  though  it  is  open  to  the  whole 
world  to  settle  thereon,  centuries  will 
come  and  pass  away,  and  many  men  may 
settle  within  the  metes  and  bounds  be- 
tween us  and  the  outer  horizon,  yet  their 
presence  will  count  for  no  more  in  these 
vast  wilds  than  if  they  were  gnats.  Nature 
has  set  her  fiat  against  man’s  deprivations 
and  claimed  this  noble  amphitheatre  for 
her  own  disport. 

The  third  valley,  off  to  our  right,  is  a 
little  to  the  south  of  this.  It  is  that 
through  which  the  Illiouette,  in  Indian 
phraseology,  The  Beautiful,”  comes 
down,  but,  as  yet,  we  have  had  no  glimpse 
of  it.  Its  falls  are  not  easily  reached  from 
the  valley.  To  get  to  their  foot  there  is 
a climb  of  fifteen  hundred  feet  from  where 


6o 


the  stream  forks  into  the  Merced  River 
valley  bottom.  Up  this  gorge  are  frag- 
ments of  rocks  weighing  hundreds  of  tons 
each,  and  the  fall  from  the  top  is  a final 
glide  of  six  hundred  feet  over  a granite 
face  which  guides  the  water  into  most  ex- 
quisite patterns. 

We  have  now  completed  our  sightseeing 
from  Glacier  Point;  we  have  swept  the 
horizon  standing  on  one  spot,  from 
Boundary  Hill  in  the  northwest  to  Mt. 
Starr  King  in  the  southeast. 

Now  we  go  farther  back  on  the  same 
trail  about  a mile  and  a half  nearly  due 
south.  You  will  see  the  dotted  line  or  trail 
on  the  map,  to  the  point  marked  by  the 
apex  of  two  red  lines.  A serpentine  line 
runs  from  this  standpoint  to  the  number 
i8  in  a circle.  Standing  at  that  point,  we 
shall  look  due  north  between  the  lines 
which  extend  northward  to  the  top  of  the 
map.  We  shall  get  a superb  view  of  North 
Dome  and  Basket  Dome  behind  it,  across 
the  main  valley. 

i8.  jAmid  the  Majestic  Heights  and 
Chasms  of  Wonderful  Yosemite  Val- 
ley— from  Trail  ( N.  N.  W.)  to  North 
and  Basket  Domes 

We  are  on  the  very  verge  of  the  eastern 
cliffs  of  the  Sentinel  Dome,  at  an  altitude 


6i 


of  some  seven  thousand  feet,  looking 
across  the  valley  straight  over  to  the 
Nofth  Dome,  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  high.  We  have  not 
seett  that  summit  before  from  so  favorable 
a point  of  view.  Here  it  is,  in  fact,  framed, 
all  by  itself,  for  another  of  the  buttresses 
of  the  Sentinel,  slashed  and  rent  as  by  Ti- 
tans, cornes  precipitately  down  upon  the 
left,  and  one  of  the  scarcely  less  rugged 
sides  of  the  Grizzly  Peak  closes  in  on  the 
right,  leaving  but  a topsy-turvy  angle, 
whose  apex  is  at  its  bottom,  to  be  filled  by 
North  Dome,  with  a hint  of  Basket  Dome 
over  his  crest.  It  is  an  awesome  scene, 
which  frorn  its  isolation  is  the  more  im- 
pressive in  this  land  of  immense  distances. 
One  seerns  perched  here  on  so  frail  a little 
bracket,  that,  were  it  not  for  the  mighty 
tree,  whose  weight  it  has  borne  these  two 
hundred  years,  one  would  expect  that  a 
rns^n/s  >5r^ight  alone  must  break  it  off,  and 
he  and  it  go  crashing  down  into  the  bot- 
toj^less  chasm,  whose  hungry  maw  seems 
litefally  yawning  for  a victim. 

Yqu  will  see,  on  referring  to  the  map, 
that  from  our  present  position,  a trail 
ritn,s  southward  and  eastward  around  the 
back  o|  the  Illiouette  Falls,  and  then  west- 
ward, parallel  with  the  Merced  River. 
We  are  to  stop  next  at  a point  on  the  trail 


62 


due  south  of  the  Vernal  and  Nevada  Falls, 
and  take  a look  northward  toward  Half 
Dome.  It  is  a point  of  view  from  which 
we  have  not  hitherto  seen  that  wonderful 
monolith,  and  there  is  a lesson  in  it  from, 
that  point  which  should  not  be  missed. 
The  diverging  red  lines  19-19  do  not  ex- 
tend far  this  time,  they  include,  indeed,  little 
more  than  the  valley  close  at  hand  and  the 
mountain  top  opposite. 

19.  0n|  thejBrink  of  a^Fearful  Chasm — 

From  Glacier  Canon  (N.  E.)  to  Half 
Dome,  Yosemite  Valley 

We  are  again  out  on  the  verge  of  over- 
hanging, lichen-stained  and  weather-worn 
slabs.  Immediately  below  us  is  void 
space.  A stone  dislodged  here  would  find 
no  rest  for  two  thousand  feet.  On  our 
right,  is  one  of  the  farthest  outlying  spurw^ 
of  Mt.  Starr  King,  up  whose  front  from 
the  valley,  foot  by  foot,  the  pines  and  other 
conifers  have  fought  their  way.  The  seed 
has  fallen  in  rocky  places,  but  it  has 
thrived  in  this,  its  rugged  home.  Wher- 
ever the  space  of  a hand’s  breadth,  or  a 
pocket  of  disintegrated  granite,  though 
but  a bushel,  has  given  the  seed  opportu- 
nity to  sprout,  there  the  hardy  nurseling 
has  thrust  in  its  tiny  toes,  and  clutched 
the  hillside,  though  in  the  after-fight  only 
one  side  of  it  could  grow  to  normal  pro- 


63 


portion.  Its  cry  is  the  cry  of  nature,  “ Ex- 
celsior ! and  if  ever  a place  answered  to 
Longfellow’s  warning 

“ Beware  the  awful  avalanche 
Beware  the  pine  trees’  withered  branch,” 

it  is  this  flank  of  the  mighty  Starr  King. 
It  is  a study  of  nature’s  methods  which  is 
worth  the  heavy  toil  it  costs  to  see  it.  Our 
field  of  vision  here,  like  the  last,  is  closed 
across  the  horizon  by  a single  mountain 
crest.  It  is  the  torn  side  of  Half  Dome 
whose  inaccessible  back  we  can  see  plung- 
ing down,  straight  down,  down  to  the 
Merced  River,  which  is  still  deeper  in  the 
ravine  than  we  can  see,  and  rising,  till  his 
bald  head  pierces  the  skies  eight  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-three  feet  above 
sea  level.  The  story  of  the  plowing  out 
of  this  Merced  Valley  by  glacial  action,  I 
have  already  told.  Now,  look  at  that  por- 
tion of  the  Dome  which  is  above  the  tim- 
ber line.  Is  it  not  different  in  aspect  to  all 
the  surrounding  granite?  Distinctly  so! 
and  my  impression  is  that  the  reason  lies 
in  the  fact  that  while,  through  ages,  the 
whole  valley,  above  and  below,  and  on  the 
yon  side  of  it  (the  Tenaiya)  and  below  it 
(the  Yosemite)  lay  filled  with  crushing, 
pounding,  slowly  grinding  ice,  this  crest 
of  Half  Dome,  for  the  main  part  of  that 
long  period,  was  above  the  ice,  an  island 
in  the  arctic  solitudes. 


64 


If  we  turn  to  our  map  again,  we  find  the 
trail  leading  on  toward  the  east  from  our 
position  at  19.  After  a mile  or  so,  it  turns 
northward,  crosses  the  Merced  River  and 
joins  another  trail  which  runs  along  the 
river’s  north  bank.  If  we  turn  west  and 
follow  this  new  trail  down  the  valley,  we 
find  it  leads  us  between  the  Nevada  Falls 
and  the  Cap  of  Liberty.  At  that  place 
some  interesting  engineering  work  has 
been  done  in  making  the  trail.  We  are  to 
go  there  now.  The  red  lines,  marked  20, 
show  that  we  shall  be  looking  up  the  cliff, 
toward  the  northeast. 

20.  Climbing  Up  the  Steep  Zig-zag  Trail 
at  the  Eastern  End  of  Yosemite 
Valley 

There  is  one  familiar  sight  in  the  valley 
we  have  only  seen  once  or  twice,  and  that 
in  mere  outline  at  a distance;  I mean  the 
many  zig-zag  trails  which  reflect  credit  on 
those  who  have  done  so  much  to  make 
the  Park  accessible,  with  comfort,  to  both 
sexes.  It  is  a useful  and  practical  thing 
to  have  selected  a possible  route,  designed 
the  necessary  engineering  works  and  exe- 
cuted them  in  the  zig-zags  of  a trail  so 
that  one  can  ride  on  horseback  from  the 
valley  to  the  cliff  tops.  Well  may  the  no- 
vitiate, gazing  up  these  perpendicular 
stone  walls,  where  nature  hides  man’s 


6s 


works,  hesitate  to  believe  in,  much  less  to 
venture  on,  so  apparently  an  impossible 
ride. 

As  we  stand  here,  the  Cap  of  Liberty  is 
above  us  on  our  left,  and  the  Nevada  Falls 
are  directly  over  our  right  shoulder. 
These  Nevada  Falls, you  remember,are  the 
uppermost  of  the  Merced  Falls.  We  saw 
them  from  Glacier  Point  (Stereograph 
No.  17).  Now  we  shall  pass  on  down  the 
trail  behind  us,  cross  the  Merced  and 
climb  to  an  elevation  on  the  southern 
bank.  There  we  shall  turn  directly  east 
and  look  to  the  Nevada  Falls  and  the  Cap 
of  Liberty.  See  the  number  21  in  a circle 
on  the  map  and  the  red  lines  which 
branch  eastward. 

21.  Nevada  Falls  and  Cap  of  Liberty, 
Yosemite  Valley 

We  are  exactly  opposite  the  Cap  of  Lib- 
erty, in  old  time  called  Mt.  Broderick, 
which  springs  from  the  foot  of  the  falls 
straight  away  skyward  eighteen  hundred 
feet.  So  steep  is  this  bare  rock  that  not 
even  a seedling  has  found  a spot  to  plant 
itself,  and  there  are  few  places  where  na- 
ture will  not  make  a desperate  attempt  to 
cover  the  barren  rocks ; witness  the 
gnarled  and  twisted  clump  upon  the  very 
top  of  this  mountain.  Only  one  ledge  on 
the  side  makes  tree  growth  possible,  and 


66 


that  is  the  terrace  running  upward  at  a 
slight  angle,  like  a band,  from  west  to  east, 
about  a third  of  the  way  up,  as  if  the  huge 
bulk  of  the  cap  had,  at  some  time,  been 
taken  by  the  top  and  twisted,  so  that 
through  its  entire  body  it  had  been 
wrenched  and  moved  through  a section  of 
its  laminations,  as  one  would  turn  the  top-* 
most  of  a pack  of  cards,  and  leave  the 
bottom  of  the  pack  extending  a trifle  be- 
yond those  above.  It  is  a significant  freak 
of  nature,  suggestive  of  forces  almost  be- 
yond the  grasp  of  the  human  mind;  but 
then  did  not  John  Muir  see  Eagle  Peak 
''  tremble  like  a jelly 

We  must  now  consult  the  map  with  a 
little  more  care,  for  we  have  to  make  a 
long  detour.  We  are  going  down  into  the 
main  valley  again  and  turn  eastw^ard  to 
its  end,  and  then  a short  distance  up  the 
Tenaiya  Valley,  between  Basket  Dome 
and  the  Half  Dome.  There  we  are  to  find 
Mirror  Lake,  which,  you  will  remember,  I 
pointed  out  lying  in  deep  shadow  and 
scarcely  visible  from  Glacier  Point  (Stere- 
ograph No.  1 6).  We  shall  see  it  under 
quite  another  aspect  to-day.  Find  the  red 
circle  with  22  on  the  map,  and  you  will 
have  no  difficulty  in  tracing  the  two  ac- 
companying angle  lines  going,  both  of 
them,  northeast  by  north. 


67 


22.  Mirror  Lake,  where  Nature  Multiplies 

Her  Charms — looking  N.  E.  to  Mt. 

Watkins,  Yosemite  Valley 

We  are  at  the  point  where  the  creek 
gathers  into  a small  lake : there  is  no  room 
for  a large  one,  in  this  hemmed-in  gully. 
I have  before  called  your  attention  to  the 
remarkable  limpidity  of  the  waters  of  the 
Sierras.  Here  is  an  example  of  it,  peerless 
in  its  reflective  power,  amid  all  the  mirror 
lakes  of  the  world,  and  surrounded  by 
scenery  such  as  no  other  mirror  lake  can 
begin  to  compare  with.  Its  nearest  com- 
petitor is  the  north  fork  of  the  Virgin 
River,  in  Utah,  which  has  achieved  world- 
wide fame  in  that  it  reflects  the  Towers 
which  rise  two  thousand  feet  above  it.  But 
this  Mirror  Lake  of  the  Tenaiya  Valley 
holds  on  its  placid  surface,  at  one  time, 
the  images  of  four  mountains.  It  fre- 
quently takes  a detail  to  accentuate  the 
attributes  of  the  whole.  For  example,  ob- 
serve the  two  jutting  pieces  of  rock  in  the 
lake,  one  beyond  and  one  on  the  near  side 
of  that  stone  pier  upon  which  people  ven- 
ture. Can  mortal  detect  where  the  rock 
ends  and  the  shadow  begins  ? Indeed,  the 
shadow  seems  as  solid  as  the  rock.  Now, 
look  down  into  the  sky  reflected  in  the 
water,  study  the  contour  of  the  mountains 
and  the  light  of  the  sky.  Is  it  not  a fact 
that  there  is  more  detail  in  the  faces  of  the 


68 


mountain  sides  in  the  water  than  in  the  dis- 
tant reality,  and  more  sunshine  in  the  shad- 
ow than  the  distant  heavens  ? Of  a verity, 
this  lake  more  than  holds  the  mirror 
up  to  nature — she  multiplies  its  charms. 
Among  the  mountains,  on  its  north,  im- 
mediately by  the  side  of  and  above  it,  is 
the  mighty  bulk  of  North  Dome,  five  thou- 
sand feet  high.  Above  that  mountain,  in 
a line  so  straight  that  it  overlaps  North 
Dome  in  such  a way  as  to  look  like  the 
same  mountain  top,  is  Mt.  Watkins,  more 
than  six  thousand  feet  above  the  mirror; 
on  its  south  its  waters  wash  the  foot  of 
Half  Dome,  five  thousand  feet  nearly 
sheer;  and  northeastward,  in  a line  with 
Half  Dome,  but  four  miles  off,  rise  the 
loftier  peaks  of  Cloud’s  Rest,  and  cast 
into  the  lake  its  image  in  the  sunrise.  Nor 
does  this  exhaust  the  wondrous  gather- 
ings of  these  monsters’  shadows,  for  at 
the  sunset.  Glacier  Point,  two  miles  due 
southwest,  completes  the  mirages  of  this 
magic  pool. 

Now,  for  two  final  outlooks  beyond  the 
gates.  We  have  often  seen  Cloud  s Rest 
looming  up  large  on  our  sky  line  east- 
ward of  the  Park.  We  shall  stand  now 
upon  our  aforetime  horizon  and  see  the 
world  beyond.  On  the  map  we  have  seen 


6p 


it  often,  the  dark  graded  mountain  nearly 
in  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  map;  and 
we  shall  take  both  our  final  looks  east- 
ward from  its  very  top.  The  first  one,  23, 
will  be  between  the  lines  so  numbered,  ex- 
tending out  into  the  margins  of  the  map, 
due  north  and  east.  And  the  other,  24, 
will  be  within  the  shorter  line,  southeast- 
ward, and  the  longer  line  nearly  due  south, 
both  lines  of  sight  extending  indeed  much 
farther  than  the  country  shown  on  the 
map. 


23.  From  Cloud^s  Rest  (N.  N.  E.)  over 
Lake  Tenaiya  to  the  Distant  Matter- 
horn (12,176  feet),  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains 

This  is  the  farthest  northeastern  limit 
and  landmark  of  the  reservation.  We  are 
looking  straight  away  northeast.  Here 
we  are  indeed  on  the  roof  of  the  world, 
ten  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  on 
the  eternal  snows  which  slowly  fill  the 
tinkling  brooks  and  brawling  burns,  that 
in  their  united,  myriad  forces  supply  the 
crystal  falls  whose  descent  has  afforded  us 
such  joys  in  the  valleys  six  thousand  feet 
below.  We  are  in  a different  world  now, 
of  wider  horizons  and  bleaker  aspects. 
The  trees  no  longer  fight  up,  step  by  step, 
but  cuddle  together  in  the  valleys.  Our 
neighbor  mountains  are  farther  apart, 


more  forbidding  and  loftier ; the  next  one 
to  us,  the  nearest  to  the  right,  is  the  Mat- 
terhorn, two  thousand  feet  higher  than  we 
are,  and  we  are  ten  thousand  feet  up , but 
he  is  a pigmy  to  the  line  upon  line  extend- 
ing eastward,  ever  higher  and  higher,  up 
to  the  snow  line  where  Mt.  Dana  and  Mt 
Warren  raise  their  mightier  bulks,  and  Mt. 
Gibbs  and  Mono  Pass  lead  onward  to 
the  lake  of  that  name  of  -ombre  memo- 
ries, and  the  yet  higher  altitudes  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  the  peaks  of  everlasting 
snow. 

24.  From  Cloud’s  Rest  (S.  E.)  over  Litth 
Yosemite  Valley  to  Mt.  Clark  (ii»25< 
feet),  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains. 

Here  the  outlook,  answering  the  mor 
genial  southern  aspect,  though  of  as  gran^ 
proportions,  is  more  verdant.  The  hill 
are  more  tree-clad  and  the  valleys  ar 
more  of  a refuge  from  climatic  inclemer 
cies,  over  to  where  Mt.  Clark  raises  i1 
head  into  the  ethereal  dome  and  the  eve 
lasting  hills  proclaim,  in  no  figurath 
sense,  the  glory  and  might  of  a creath 
God! 


City 

\’^^Qenve^ 


^Ofleans 


GULFOF  MEXICO 


^ibbonlFaK 
7006y;J„  „ 


Gtqc/eP^ 

, 720)^ 


..Sentm^k 

Dome.^ 

«,V: 


y.f'of lie  Cliff, 

S\742  / 


] Dewey  Pf. 

721 


yfrXA-;.-- 

yosemite  vallSy 


SHOWING 

WAGON-ROADS  and  TRAILS 


YOSEMlfl 


miles 


COPYRIGHT  I90t 


BY  underwood  s,  UNOPRVIQOO^NFa, 


explanations  OF  MAP  SYSTEM. 

(5)  The  stereogreph 

L »r  4hA  Sometimes  the  er 

,„ogr.ph,  over.h.  When  somo  obi.< 

(8)  The  Humbert  of  i 
• marked  on  the  map  from  no 


out  the  terr 

stereo9f*r‘ 


I®  quickly  the  apace  s 
b '’»y°"'i  <h«  ob.lru 

pntlm 


territory  I 

(«) 


